Archives

October 3, 2016

NHTSA Issues Rule Requiring Electronic Stability Control (ESC) in Large Trucks

Rollover accidents are among the most devastating in passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle accidents. When a tractor trailer rolls over on the highway, it can easily lead to serious injury or death to the driver and other drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has worked to reduce the incident of rollovers, which are documented to be a more common occurrence with large trucks. More than ten years ago, the Large Truck Crash Causation Study found that tractor-trailers are especially prone to rollover due to the trailer’s high center of gravity and uneven loads. That major study found that...
September 27, 2016

Truck Driver: One of America’s Most Dangerous Jobs

According to a recent federal report, truck drivers face one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. While logging workers topped the list with almost 111 fatal injuries on the job per 100,000 workers, truck drivers and other drivers ranked #8 with almost 25 on-the-job fatalities per 100,000 with a total number of 880 fatalities in 2015. Drivers accounted for a disproportionate share of the year’s 4,821 fatal workplace injuries. What makes truck driving such a dangerous job? Several factors are at work. Low Pay and Long Hours Truck drivers drive for up to 14 hours a day...
September 21, 2016

The Myth of Driver Shortage in the Trucking Industry

The trucking industry has long perpetrated the myth that it faces a shortage of drivers and the industry has fought back against hours of service (HOS) rules by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that are designed to limit the number of hours each week a driver can spend on the road. While the industry claims these rules reduce the already low numbers of drivers, how true is this claim? The truth is there are thousands of drivers with CDL licenses throughout the country who do not work as truck drivers, not because they can’t get enough hours but...
September 14, 2016

Driver Fatigue: A Leading Cause of Truck Accidents in Delaware

Commercial vehicles account for a disproportionate amount of traffic accidents in Delaware and the size of these vehicles often contributes to very severe crashes, especially when a passenger vehicle is involved. While truck accidents can be caused by any number of factors, studies have found that a large share of these serious accidents are the result of truck driver fatigue. The link between driver fatigue and commercial truck accidents is not new, as the National Safety Council issued a report on the issue as early as 1935. Fatigue is an even greater problem today than it was nearly a century...