Ohio Truck Accident News: Are Tractor Trailer Drivers Trained To Handle Their Cargo?
Reports Indicate Truck Crashes Have Brought Into Questions Whether Tractor Trailer Drivers Are Trained To Handle Their Cargo.
Recent reports surrounding tractor trailer accidents in Ohio and around the country suggest tractor trailer companies may not be training truck drivers to handle different cargo loads, or pushing drivers into carrying dangerous cargo without proper training. Unsecured loads, heavy cargo, and shifting cargo can cause serious dangers on the road when loads shift. If drivers are unprepared to handle the cargo, it can lead to traffic accidents, injuries, and even death. Tractor trailer companies are supposed to train drivers to handle unsafe loads, but recent reports have found that drivers may be carrying loads they are unequipped to handle.
A shift in a truck’s load can alter the center of gravity, causing it to move out of its original lane and potentially flip, just like in the case of a Virginia man who died while carrying an improperly secured coil in the back of his tractor trailer. Tractor trailer companies are supposed to follow legal safety requirements for securing dangerous or heavy loads, but not all companies follow these regulations. Some workers are not trained to carry heavy loads, which requires special driving techniques. In some cases, faulty tie-downs or other problems while securing the load can also cause dangerous accidents.
A wrongful death lawsuit against a trucking company after her husband was involved in a tractor trailer accident that ultimately ended his life. The lawsuit claims that the defendants are responsible for her husband’s death due to an unsecured load. The woman seeks compensatory damages for her loss.
The tractor trailer lawsuit against the trucking company purports that the truck driver was re-routed several times and was given an overloaded trailer with unsecured cargo that driver was not used to carrying or trained to carry. This ultimately lead to a crash causing the truck drivers death.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 51,000 crashes in 2010 were caused by objects falling off of a tractor trailer or other vehicle on the road. This led to almost 10,000 injuries and 440 deaths. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that about 25,000 crashes each year are related to road debris and improperly-secured trailer loads. If trucking companies overload tractor trailers and do not train drivers to avoid safety risks, it can pose a serious health risk to truck drivers and other drivers on the road. In some cases, the resulting accidents can lead to death.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published a safety handbook for tractor trailer drivers on the proper procedure for securing dangerous cargo. Cargo is required to be secured according to the North American Cargo Securement Standard. Specific rules are set in place for dangerous cargo, such as logs, coils, concrete pipe, cars, machines, boulders, and other unsafe cargo. Truck drivers not trained in securing or driving dangerous cargo should not carry unsafe loads. However, recent reports have indicated that some trucking companies ignore these safety regulations in favor of quick loading or unloading. All loads are required to be inspected for safety before the driver sets out on the road, but not all companies follow these safety procedures, which can increase the risk for injuries and fatalities.
[http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/cargo-securement/drivers-handbook-cargo-securement-introduction, April 2015]
Passenger vehicle drivers can avoid dangerous truck accidents by giving tractor trailers a wide berth on the road. If a truck driver looks like it is overloaded or carrying unsecured cargo, drivers should contact the parent company right away to prevent potential injuries and fatalities.
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