Trucker Life · Nationwide · November 2, 2026

Truckers and Delivery Drivers Had 950 Work Deaths in 2024, the Most of Any Job on a Ranking of Dangerous Jobs

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Truck drivers and delivery drivers combined lost more lives at work in 2024 than workers in any other occupation on a new ranking of America's most dangerous jobs. The ranking, published by Visual Capitalist, draws on 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. This report covers statistics and does not describe any single crash. The numbers are shared with respect for the workers and families behind them.

The totals

Visual Capitalist reports that truckers and delivery drivers combined recorded 950 deaths in 2024, far more than any other occupation in the dataset. The two groups are combined in the data. The ranking covers 20 selected occupations, and some are grouped into broader categories.

Construction workers had the next-highest total at 334 deaths, followed by groundskeepers at 239.

The rates

Death totals and death rates tell different stories. By rate, truck and delivery drivers ranked ninth, at 25.7 deaths per 100,000 workers. That is below several occupations with much smaller death tolls, the report notes.

• Logging workers: 110.4 deaths per 100,000 workers, the highest rate, with 51 deaths in 2024.
• Fishers and hunters: 88.8.
• Roofers: 48.7.
• Iron and steelworkers: 37.8.
• Waste collectors: 37.4.

Construction workers and groundskeepers ranked 13th and 10th by rate despite their higher totals.

The national picture

Across all occupations there were 5,070 fatal workplace injuries in the U.S. in 2024, down 4% from 5,283 in 2023, according to the BLS figures cited. That works out to roughly one worker dying every 104 minutes from a work-related injury.

Transportation incidents were the leading cause of workplace deaths in 2024, accounting for 1,937 fatalities, or 38.2% of the national total. Roadway incidents involving motorized vehicles alone claimed 1,146 lives.

What the ranking does not say

The 950 figure covers the combined category of truck and delivery drivers and does not separate the two. It is not a count of any single type of event.

A road that is someone's workplace

For many people, a highway is an office. Truckers spend their working hours on it, and their families wait for them to come home. Big Rig Daily has covered safety measures such as the pre-trip inspection checklist and a report on a safety grant for the Green River tunnels on I-80 in Wyoming.

Quick facts

• Truck and delivery drivers, 2024: 950 deaths, ninth by rate at 25.7 per 100,000 workers.
• Highest rate: logging, 110.4 per 100,000 workers.
• Next-highest totals: construction workers, 334; groundskeepers, 239.
• All occupations, 2024: 5,070 fatal workplace injuries, down 4% from 2023.
• Leading cause: transportation incidents, 1,937 deaths, or 38.2%.

FAQ

Which job had the most deaths in 2024?

Truck and delivery drivers, with 950, according to the Visual Capitalist ranking of BLS data.

Is truck driving the job with the highest death rate?

No. By rate it ranked ninth, at 25.7 deaths per 100,000 workers. Logging was highest at 110.4.

What was the leading cause of workplace deaths?

Transportation incidents, with 1,937 deaths in 2024, or 38.2% of the national total.

A question for readers

Truck drivers, what one change would make your workday on the highway safer?

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