Every day, thousands of commercial vehicles transport goods into, out of, and across the state. Right now, as a result of “panic buying” there are more trucks than ever on the roads in an attempt to restock grocery stores across the nation.

Because of the dangers these vehicles present, truck drivers are expected to abide by numerous state and federal trucking laws—including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR).

Federal trucking regulations address a number of safety concerns, including:

• Licensing requirements for drivers
• Special training requirements for drivers
• Alcohol and controlled substances use
• Rest breaks and hours of service limitations
• Truck size, weight, and route limitations
• Rules for loading and securing cargo

When you hire our accident lawyers, we will work to determine if the truck driver who caused your accident, or the trucking company that employs them, violated any of these laws or regulations. If this is the case, we will fight to hold them accountable.

It is extremely important for trailers to be properly loaded in order to avoid an accident. Every year, hundreds of truck accidents result when cargo is not properly loaded or is overloaded. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates the proper way to secure loads, but unfortunately, many drivers and truck companies ignore these rules in an effort to move more cargo faster.

Improperly loaded or secured cargo can cause balance issues within the trailer, which can cause the trailer to swerve dangerously while the truck is in motion. Imbalance in the trailer can also cause braking issues when the truck is traveling uphill or downhill. Imbalanced trailers are more likely to tip over or jackknife, causing serious injury or death to nearby drivers.

An overloaded truck can be just as deadly. Too much weight can also cause braking issues, as the truck will require a longer distance to slow down with a heavier load. Overloaded trailers can also place significant strain on axels and tires, which may break beneath the trailer’s weight. Tire blowouts are often caused by trailers that are carrying too much weight.

Due to their massive weight and size (up to 80,000 pounds), trucks can cause devastating accidents that most often end up seriously harming or killing other drivers. Properly secured cargo is one of the most important aspects of truck safety and is an essential part of preventing accidents.

Every truck driver must be well qualified to safely operate a commercial truck, which is much larger than any other vehicle they might have driven before. If a trucker is not experienced with driving a big rig, then an employer should take ample steps to ensure that the truck driver is given appropriate amounts of on-the-job training. When a trucking company fails to take basic steps to only hire competent truck drivers – or there are no job training opportunities to drivers new to the industry – any misconduct or accident caused by an inexperienced driver can put the liability on that company.

A trucking company can be found professionally negligent if they hire drivers who do not have:

• Valid commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs)
• Clean driving records
• Reliable eyesight – as in they have undiagnosed vision problems
• Clear hours of service violation records

Trucking companies should also plan on conducting criminal background checks on all new hires to look for any charges or convictions related to driving, such as speeding citations or DUI convictions. Regular drug and alcohol testing should also be conducted by an employer and at random to catch any intoxicated drivers before they can hit the road and possibly hit another driver.