Cost-cutting and accelerated working practices are passed on from transport buyers to transport suppliers and ultimately to drivers, which can result in dangerous on-road behaviours that negatively impact the public at large.
Arranging and scheduling of work can have direct occupational safety and health risk. When drivers receive an unrealistically tight delivery schedule, they are more likely to drive faster and continue to drive despite fatigue, bad weather, or heavy traffic, even if they do not receive additional pay for the added work or risk.
Excessive or poorly controlled working hours are a core human rights and safety risk in road transport. Long driving hours, extended shifts, and inadequate rest can be driven by commercial pressure, tight delivery schedules, and pay systems that reward output rather than time worked. In fragmented supply chains, monitoring compliance with working time and driving time rules can be particularly challenging, especially where work is subcontracted or spans multiple jurisdictions.
Weekly rest requirements are frequently undermined in long-haul and cross-border trucking operations. Drivers may be encouraged or pressured to postpone or shorten weekly rest to meet delivery demands, maximise earnings, or return vehicles quickly to service. In some cases, rest is taken in unsuitable locations or vehicles, without access to safe and sanitary facilities. Failure to respect weekly rest rules increases fatigue, affects physical and mental health, and heightens accident risk.
Safety impacts of employment pressures in road transport
| Root cause | Cause | Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|---|
Transport buyer engages in:
| Transport supplier engages in:
| Worker experiences:
| Social costs:
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Extended periods away from home or from a worker’s country of employment can present significant risks in road transport supply chains. Drivers engaged in international operations may spend weeks or months on the road, often without adequate rest, family contact, or access to support services. Prolonged absence can contribute to physical exhaustion, mental health strain, and social isolation, and may be associated with exploitative practices where workers feel unable to leave or refuse work.
Time spent loading and unloading vehicles is not consistently recognised or renumerated as working time. Drivers may be required to wait for extended periods at warehouses, ports, or customer sites without pay, or to perform loading tasks without adequate training, equipment or support. This can lead to unpaid working hours, excessive total working time, and increased pressure to make up lost time while driving.
Border crossings can present specific and unpredictable risks in road transport and can lead to unpredictable supply chain delays. Drivers may face long waiting times, inspections, documentation delays, and inconsistent enforcement practices, all of which can extend working hours and disrupt rest periods. In some contexts, drivers are exposed to harassment, discrimination, or corruption, particularly where language barriers or immigration status limit their ability to assert their rights. Border delays that are not recognised as working time or factored into planning can increase fatigue and pressure on drivers to compensate by driving longer or faster.
Fatigue is a cumulative risk arising from long hours, irregular schedules, interrupted breaks, and inadequate rest areas. It is not merely a result of lack of sleep but is systematically built into the sector’s poor working conditions, including low wages and operational pressure. Chronic fatigue reduces alertness and reaction times, significantly increasing the likelihood of serious accidents with severe consequences for workers and the public. These risks can be exacerbated by insecure income and non-standard employment, which can discourage drivers from reporting tiredness or refusing unsafe assignments for fear of losing their livelihoods.