Two Quasi-Experiments Concerning Working Conditions of American Truck Drivers

Abstract

Two quasi-experiments are presented concerning the working conditions of American long-haul truck drivers. Using driver weeks as the unit of analysis, we present several statistically significant differences between driver weeks that preceded a truck driver leaving their employer and those that did not, as well as significant behavioral differences between "soft" (low transportation price) and "tight" (high transportation price) market conditions. We also document consistent and predicable patterns in the weekly lives of truck drivers. These experiments provide new insights into the working conditions of America's increasingly scarce long-haul truck drivers.