New Study Says Minnesota Is One of the Safest States for Truck Drivers

No matter which highway you take in Minnesota, whether it’s Highway 52 or I-35, chances are you passed a truck. Or ten. With nearly 100,000 Minnesotans making a living behind the wheel, trucking isn’t some distant industry here. Everyone knows a trucker. A neighbor. A friend. A family member. Which is what makes this next part pretty cool.

A new nationwide study just ranked Minnesota as one of the safest states in America for truck drivers. Top five, actually. And considering our long winters, icy roads, and the occasional white knuckle drive through a blizzard, that’s probably not a ranking most people would have guessed.

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The study, conducted by Texas-based The Barber Law Firm, analyzed everything from traffic conditions to road quality, crash data, congestion, and even truck driver pay to see where truckers are safest across the country.

Minnesota landed near the very top of the list. Only three states beat us: Montana, Vermont, and, surprisingly, Alaska takes the number one spot.

One major reason Minnesota was so high on the list is road quality. Nearly 95 percent of Minnesota’s major highways are rated good or fair, one of the highest percentages in the nation.

Another reason is pay, with Minnesota truck drivers earning an average annual salary of $62,110, placing the state among the more competitive markets for professional drivers.

Also See: A Look at Minnesota's Least Busy Highways 

Additionally, safety metrics here consistently outperform much of the country. Only about 2 trucks per 100,000 registrations are involved in fatal crashes, and fatalities are just as low.

Nationwide, more than 5,800 large trucks are involved in fatal crashes every year, a number that has risen sharply over the past decade. For drivers, fleet managers, and families alike, rankings like this aren’t just interesting, they’re reassuring.

Traffic might be lighter here, and winter still tests everyone’s patience. But for truckers, Minnesota is proving it’s one of the safest states in the country to do this job.