New Survey Shows Company Drivers Overwhelmed and Worried

As roads become more dangerous, 70% of company drivers say they worry about being killed or hurt in a collision or held liable for the damages.

While 89% of company drivers rate their driving as good or excellent, less than 60% say the same of other drivers.

Nationwide’s April 2025 survey found that company drivers have incongruent perceptions about their safety and behavior.

At least one in five company drivers (21%) admit to feeling distracted while driving for work. These distractions mainly include adjusting GPS systems, using cell phones (calls, texts and social media), eating or drinking, and adjusting the radio or music.

However, staffing shortages may be fueling riskier behaviors among commercial drivers. Four in 10 drivers (44%, a 5-point increase from 2024) say their employer is struggling to hire or retain qualified drivers, and 41% of drivers believe staffing shortages have negatively impacted their driving, a 20-point increase from 2024.

Survey participants said having fewer trained drivers led to increased workloads (72%, +11 points), longer driving hours (71%, +13 points), difficulty meeting deadlines (57%, +10 points), decreased training quality (54%, +15 points) and reduced focus on safety (49%, +15 points).

As a result of these added pressures, 53% of company drivers report they regularly take work phone calls and roughly a quarter are reading/responding to work text messages (28%) or emails (24%) while driving. These numbers outweigh the one in five who admit to feeling distracted while driving, suggesting that many respondents who participate in these risky behaviors may not view them as distractions.

“Company drivers are overwhelmed, distracted and in many cases, worried,” said Mark McGhiey, risk management and client services leader at Nationwide. “When nearly half say staffing shortages are affecting their driving, and 70% fear serious consequences from a crash, it’s a clear signal that fleet drivers are under stress.”

“While comprehensive fleet safety programs are critical for all employers with drivers, this isn’t just about better planning or stricter rules; it’s about building a culture of safety that supports drivers through robust training, smarter tools, and a commitment to their wellbeing every time they start the engine,” McGhiey added.

Employers and insurers are turning to innovative tools to help drivers stay focused and safe. Nationwide’s research shows that technology like dash cams, telematics and hands-free policies are gaining significant traction and reshaping how drivers and companies manage risk.

Fleet operators are making meaningful strides with tools like dashcams, hands-free policies and ongoing driver monitoring. Dashcam usage among company drivers has jumped 29 points year-over-year, now installed in 84% of work vehicles. Over one in three (35%) report their employers currently use an AI-enabled dashcam in their work vehicle to monitor their driving behavior, and 72% of those drivers find the camera helpful, while 9% find it distracting.

More companies also enforce hands-free policies (44%) and use continuous monitoring of motor vehicle records (71%) to proactively address risk.

Awareness of regulations and penalties may also be an issue. Only 65% of company drivers said they are aware of changes to distracted driving regulations over the past two years, while 78% said they have enough information regarding distracted driving laws/regulations in their state.

Most company drivers say their management keeps them in the loop or provides training by making employees aware of the impact driving incidents and accidents can have on the company (88%), making the safety of its drivers and others on the road a priority (87%), communicating with employees about potential threats and risks on the road (84%). But 80% say management could provide more training to help prevent accidents and improve safety, an increase of 8% over last year.

Topics Trends Personal Auto