The Underlying Cause of All Truck Accidents
For decades, truck companies have protected their profits by cutting into the wages of their drivers. Most truck drivers—particularly the ones who have only been driving for a few years—are only paid a few pennies for every mile they haul freight. Few things have eroded highway safety like pay-by-mile arrangements. Their companies convince them that only if they "drove harder" and had longer hours, they'd be able to make good money.
- Route planning
- Driving to new loads
- Waiting for loading and unloading
- Getting a rig inspection
- Safety checks every day
Unfortunately for drivers and motorists, pay-by-mile pushes drivers to violate federal regulations governing how many hours a day a trucker can safely work. Many new drivers learn to keep two logbooks so they can appear compliant while driving 18-, 19-, or 20-hour days. As a result, thousands of tired truckers get behind the wheel of their 80,000-pound behemoths every morning—endangering their lives and the lives of others on the road.
Sleep researchers believe that our driving is as impaired by moderate tiredness as it is by drinking alcohol.
Tired driving is not just a theoretical danger. Experts estimate that 13 percent of truck crashes are caused by exhaustion, but the number is likely far higher—most people don't report when their tiredness caused a crash. At least 1 in 4 truck crashes happened when a trucker was hauling for 17 hours or longer. Lack of sleep is making the roads more dangerous.
San Angelo UPS & FedEx Accident Attorneys
Among the largest players in the freight driving industry include UPS and FedEx, who collectively own 50 percent of their industry's market share. The two giants are naturally leaders in the trucking industry—UPS utilizes 119,000 vehicles in its fleet, and FedEx employs more than 90,000 vehicles. Their brand is synonymous with long-distance delivery.
Unfortunately, their brand is also synonymous with frequent crashes. From 2015 to 2017, UPS trucks were involved in over 2,000 crashes that injured 689 people and killed 49. In the same period, FedEx were involved in nearly as many crashes and fatalities. However, when compared to the same window 5 years earlier, FedEx has seen its crash and fatality rate more than double.
See for yourself—find out how often trucking companies get into accidents on the FMCSA website.
Get a Free Consultation with San Angelo Trucking Lawyers
Arnold & Itkin's 18-wheeler attorneys serving San Angelo want to help get you back on your feet. If we can help you, our firm will cover the cost of your case from start to finish. Any investigative costs, filing fees, and our own fee will all be advanced against your verdict or settlement. If you don't win one, don't worry—our firm absorbs the risk, so none of it costs you.
All it takes to start is a phone call. Dial (888) 493-1629 or contact us online to review your case with a trucking lawyer for free.
