Transportation companies are eager to invest substantial resources in new vehicles due to a range of benefits, mainly centered on improved safety technologies and better fuel efficiency. When reviewing job postings for truck drivers, it’s common to see the latest model trucks highlighted, yet they rarely mention what drivers value most: the type of driver’s seat installed.
Comfort Trumps Technology
Drivers employed by trucking companies who participated in the CCJ’s 2025 What Drivers Want report, conducted in partnership with Netradyne, overwhelmingly identified a comfortable driver’s seat as the most important feature in a truck. Securing 88% this year, a comfortable seat has consistently held the top spot in every edition of the What Drivers Want survey.
The subsequent priorities are:
Newer model trucks (54%)
Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) (51%)
Large sleeper cab (46%)
Satellite radio (34%)
Other desired features mentioned by respondents included a manual transmission, fewer advanced safety features (including speed limiters), and a premium mattress in the sleeper cab.
The Technology Divide: Cameras and Speed Limiters
Drivers’ opinions on safety technology are mixed and depend heavily on the specific application—for cameras, even the direction they face matters.
Forward-facing cameras were deemed by over two-thirds (66%) of CCJ survey respondents to have the greatest positive impact on job safety.
Conversely, a camera directed at the driver was the most frequently cited technological tool with the greatest negative impact (70%).
The same percentage of respondents (70%) attributed a negative impact on safety to speed limiters, while only 8% viewed them positively.
Among non-advanced technological elements, appropriate driver training was highly rated, and respondents who selected the “other” option also mentioned Bluetooth hands-free kits and a reliable GPS.
Advanced Safety Systems: More Negative Than Positive?
Drivers generally expressed negative views regarding advanced safety features such as Collision Mitigation Systems, Lane Departure Warning, and Lane Keeping Systems. Negative attitudes outweigh positive ones by nearly a 2:1 ratio.
Among the safety technologies often installed standard in new trucks:
Lane Departure Warning (25%) received the highest score for positive impact.
The Lane Keeping System (14%) was rated significantly lower, with 40% of drivers believing it has a negative impact on their safety.
The Autonomy Outlook
One technology that does not seem to raise significant concern among drivers is self-driving technology. Only 14% of surveyed drivers believe that autonomous technology will eventually eliminate the truck driver profession. The remaining respondents believe the technology will not be widely implemented (40%) or that while it will change the driver’s role, a person will always be needed in the cab (46%).
Safe travels and wide roads from All About Trucks & Translab! We put Truckers first!
