Trucking accidents: Interview with a veteran truck driver
A couple of weeks ago I spent some time discussing trucking accidents with my father-in-law. He has over 25 years of experience driving commercial trucks for various companies in and outside of North Carolina. He has even owned and operated his own commercial trucking business. With 25 years of experience, he understand the ins and outs of the trucking and commercial freight industry. We discussed some of the major causes of trucking accidents from a driver’s perspective. Fortunately, my father-in-law, in his 25 years on the road, has never been involved in a major trucking accident. Here’s a recount of what we discussed:
What do you think is the leading cause of trucking accidents?
To this question, my father-in-law, as expected, mentioned that other drivers (passenger car drivers) are a major cause of trucking accidents. He simply stated that most drivers do not respect commercial trucks. The first issue he brought up was stopping distance, blaming passenger car drivers for following too close or “cutting off” truck drivers. My father-in-law cautioned that trucks carrying a “load” are more difficult to stop because “[they] are heavier”. according to him, “People don’t realize that jumping in front of a truck is dangerous. We are higher up and sometimes we have difficulty seeing small vehicles that dash in front of us unexpectedly.” We talked about how often cars try to maneuver around trucks because of the truck’s slow acceleration. To this he simply replied, “All the time. All the time.”
What do truck drivers do to contribute to accidents?
He replied, “Fall asleep. Many drivers try to push to meet delivery deadlines and reload. That’s how we make money, but some drivers are just too tired to drive.” I asked him if he thought this was the biggest problem. He replied, “No. Sometimes we just don’t see cars. We have mirrors, but if we’re not careful, that’s when we can run into problems. I’d say that happens more than drivers falling asleep. I always liked driving at night to avoid other drivers. I think most of us who do long hauling prefer night driving.”
Some things that I have read say that lack of maintenance can lead to accidents.
“That’s with any vehicle on the road; not just trucks. We have to keep our trucks road ready, but we can’t help some things that happen…like blowouts.”, he replied.
How have you avoided accidents throughout your career?
“Like I said, I try to drive at night; less traffic and headache. I’ve been on the road so long, so I know just about how most people drive. I anticipate being cutoff, pulled out in front of, and followed too closely. People gotta remember, truck drivers don’t want to get into accidents. It’s our life on the line, too.”, he responded.
Is there any place or state that you hate driving in/on?
He stated, “Hmm…I would have to say mountain roads. They are steep, sometimes curvy, and sometimes it feels like you’re gonna fall right of the edge. The worse thing is going down those steep mountain roads and experiencing brake failure. I try to go slow and pray a lot. Mountains are probably the most dangerous for me. I try to avoid them if I can.”
Talking to my father-in-law, I got the sense that truck drivers are more frustrated with passenger car drivers who take risks and don’t understand the limits of a large commercial truck. As an injury attorney, I caution passenger car drivers against anything that may put themselves and other drivers at risk. Be mindful of the limits of large trucks; especially ones carry a load. Our law offices are here to help in the case that you do have an accident involving a commercial truck at no fault of your on. The Law Office of Alesia M. Vick welcomes all North Carolina personal injury clients.
Tags: alesia vick, north carolina personal injury, trucking accident
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on Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 at 8:48 pm and is filed under Vehicle Accidents.
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