I regularly haul pipes, skis, boards, furniture, or other long and awkward objects that would destroy a touchscreen, or at least render it unusable for the journey.
Physical buttons are so much more durable.
Physical buttons are so much more durable.
In this scenario, though, I would be most concerned with scratching the screen. That, And replacing a broken knob is surely cheaper than a gigantic touch screen should it be actually damaged.