“Big rigs” or “18-wheelers” are a common sight on American roads and highways; the trucks are especially prevalent on main thoroughfares and interstates going from state to state.  In fact, on some heavily traveled stretches, every fourth vehicle is a truck.  It makes sense, since truck transport is considered to be one of the most suitable ways to get goods across the U.S., with about 70% of all products reaching their destination via truck.  While 18-wheelers may be the most prevalent big rig encountered, there are plenty of truck types traveling alongside you on the road. Yet, with the ever increasing number of trucks on the road, the number of trucking accidents also rises.

Semi-trucks dominate the roads, calls for greater maintenance

Semi-trucks — sometimes called “18 wheelers” or “tractor trailers” — are comprised of two or more parts that connect by a coupling system. These are heavy duty trucks designed to carry massive loads, and can legally weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds.  Approximately 74% of fatal truck accidents involved tractor trailers, while 26% involved single-unit trucks. 

The great preponderance of trucking accidents in this category is attributable to a number of factors: heavy weight, improper loading, longer braking distances and mechanical failures are typically to blame.  In fact, the leading cause of accidents among 18-wheelers is mechanical defect – most often tire, wheel and brake issues.  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) tabulated that more than 27% of large trucking accidents were due to brake failures. 

Yet these “technical” failures can be avoided through proper truck maintenance and carrier safety protocols. Brake systems (including compressed air PSI, calipers and rotors) should be checked at regular intervals, and brake pad replacement runs every 30,000 miles or so.  Coupling failures (basically the hitch between the cab and trailer) can cause the vehicle to jackknife, or even separate entirely.   

Tanker trucks carry hazardous materials

According to the FMCSA, tanker truck accidents account for between 5 percent and 10 percent of truck-involved accidents on U.S. roads every year that result in deaths, injuries, or property damage. Statistics from the FMCSA in 2017 pointed to 9,610 tanker trucking accidents on American roads;  372 of those were fatal and another 3,505 involved reported injuries at the scene. 

There are two main types of cargo transported via tanker truck: food cargo (like grain, milk, animal fat, corn syrup, cooking oil, etc.) and non-food (gasoline, diesel, ethanol, acids and corrosives, pesticides and herbicides, etc.  Tanker trucks are most commonly used to transport gasoline and diesel to gas stations across the U.S.  While both types of cargo-bearing tanker trucks can pose hazards on the road, the trucks used to haul non-food products are carrying flammable, hazardous, or toxic materials.  What are some of the dangers posed? 

  • Fire. When tanker trucks are in a traffic collision, the likelihood of a fire is high. A truck might be carrying flammable materials, but even food-grade trucks that are pressurized with oxygen can burst into flames during a tanker truck crash. 
  • Explosion. Like fires, explosions might also occur during a tanker truck accident. A high impact crash easily throws a spark that can ignite highly flammable and combustible substances. 
  • Leaks and spills. When a tanker trucking accident occurs, those who share the road are in danger of load spillage. Hazardous materials can put other motorists at risk, especially if toxic fumes leak into the air.
  • Sloshing movement. Tankers that are not carrying a full load risk crashes caused by sloshing, the movement of the liquid within the tank. Sloshing often occurs when drivers go around corners too quickly, suddenly stop, or make any other quick maneuver. When the load shifts, so does the center of gravity of the truck, making it more difficult for a driver to control, which can lead to a rollover.

Dump trucks or “tipper trucks” are used to transport loose material like sand, gravel or demolition rubble. Dump trucks are used during construction and major building projects to transport raw material for mixing or crushing. Most are equipped with an open box bed and are hinged at the rear end so that the truck can tip upwards and unload the material efficiently. These wide bodied vehicles can prove difficult to steer and stop (maintaining enough distance is key!), especially when fully loaded or overloaded.  Dump truck crashes severe enough that the vehicle had to be towed away rose 9%, hitting 8,206 in 2016, the latest year statistics are available. The number of dump truck accidents (which includes many non-construction-related uses) involving injuries rose 2.7%, to 5,483, according to the FMSCA.

Logging trucks among the worst for fatal rollovers

Logging trucks are designed to carry lumber long distances, often through wooded or mountainous regions. A common site in wooded areas across the country, logging trucks have one of the worst records for safety of any kind of commercial truck.  

January 2019 data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting system found that fatal crashes involving log trucks increased over 40% between 2011 and 2015. Analyzing that same data, researchers discovered that 25% of logging trucks were involved in fatal rollovers, compared to just 12% for other large commercial trucks.  Clearly, training programs need to be revamped to prepare drivers for this type of truck and cargo.   Additionally, the average age of logging trucks in fatal trucking accidents was 13 years, considerably older than the 7.6 years for all other types of large trucks involved in crashes. These older vehicles, typically bought secondhand, can prove ripe for mechanical failures.  

Delivery trucks on every street in America

United Parcel Service (UPS), Federal Express (FedEx), and other delivery trucks are ubiquitous – Amazon even started its own fleet of nearly 40,000 delivery trucks to keep pace with supply/demand. While they are not as large as other commercial trucks, the sheer abundance of these carriers on the road leads to more crashes. Just one take away here: UPS (fleet size: 134,000) had 67 fatal crashes and over 1,000 trucking accidents causing injury on U.S. streets in the past two years (through 02/10/22).  

These delivery trucks are more common in urban and residential areas, with many part-time delivery drivers, who tend to have less experience than other CDL (commercial drivers license) holders. Private drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians are at a greater danger of being hit by delivery trucks than any other commercial vehicle.   

Car transporters lose unsecured vehicles

Car transporters are single-decker enclosed or double-decker open auto carriers that have multiple spaces designed to hold cars in place during a long transit; as many as 10-11 cars are held on one carrier, with a combined weight of up to 80,000 pounds. The auto transport carriers are light when they are not carrying vehicles. Due to unique size and shape, these trailers can be unsteady and sudden movements by the driver may cause fishtailing or swerving that is difficult to control.

So what are some causes of auto transport carrier accidents?

  • Unsecured Cargo. A car carrier truck can lose vehicles without realizing it.  A carrier may hit a large pothole and lose an unsecured vehicle hanging off the back, sending the unmanned vehicle falling onto the highway.
  • Overloading. An overloaded auto transport carrier poses a threat to other vehicles on the road.  The extra weight on the trucks can cause a driver to lose control of the carrier and/or increase stopping distance and braking time.
  • Overpass Strike Accidents. Transport trucks can become wedged underneath overpasses causing rear-end collisions for cars trailing behind.  

Cement mixers carry sloshing loads

A cement truck or concrete mixer carries around the mixing equipment, product  and water for delivery to construction sites, parking lots and other building needs.  The machinery allows the cement to maintain its liquid state for very long due to constant motion, hence giving the cement a longer lasting quality and a longer use period than if it were held in place. The cement is usually discharged from the rear and the drum it’s mixed in is made out of steel or fiberglass.  Ready-mix concrete trucks saw an increase in fatal accidents, to 38 in 2016 (most recent statistics available) from 33 the year before, according to the FMSCA.

Box trucks preferred for appliances and furniture

Most box trucks have a cabin or chassis cab that is separate from its box-shaped cargo area; this lack of connection between chassis and cargo box differentiates from the typical van. Box trucks are generally between 10 feet to 26 feet in length, ranging from from 12,500 lbs to 33,000 lbs. They are generally used by companies for transporting appliances, furniture, and other large items. Many box trucks are also refrigerated trucks.  Trucking accidents in this category have not been parsed out in U.S. research; we assume slightly fewer crashes than in the delivery truck space, but still substantial… as consumer spending and demand for appliances, furniture and other “large” goods continues unabated. 

Trucks drive our economy ahead

Trucks drive our economy ahead, with nearly one million truck carriers transporting more than 10.23 billion tons of freight or $732.3 billion in gross freight revenues (primary shipments only) from trucking in 2020. With so many different types of trucks doing commerce in our country, there must be rules and regulations governing truckers’ driving practices and carriers’ vehicle maintenance.  Why? Trucks, by the inherent nature of their size, weight, speed and heft, can cause serious damage or even death in passenger vehicle v. truck crashes. Add to this equation truck driver fatigue, inexperienced truckers, challenging corporate carrier schedules, inclement weather or poor truck maintenance, and it can spell a recipe for disaster. For these reasons, any commercial driver of a large vehicle is held to rigorous professional standards through the FMCSA.  We follow in the footsteps of the FMCSA, advocating for truck safety. For more information about the Law Offices of Peter M. Anderson or Colorado Truck Accidents, please don’t hesitate to call us at 303-444-1505 or contact us today.