Semi trucks account for only 2 percent of all the vehicles on the road, but they are the cause of 8 percent of all road accidents - statistics which demonstrate that there are more ways than one in which semi trucks and tractor trailers cause accidents with devastating consequences for those involved. The sheer size of these vehicles – a fully loaded truck can weigh over 80,000 pounds, a gargantuan when compared to an average car which weighs 3,000 pounds – makes them accidents waiting to happen at the slightest error. Here are some of the most common types of mishaps involving semi trucks.

  1. Jack-knifing: Semi Trucks, because of their length, are prone to jack-knifing, the situation that happens when a long 18-wheeler skids or loses control and the trailer and truck come to a stop at right angles to each other. Any vehicle caught in the resulting trailer whiplash is history. Jack-knifing usually leads to multiple car pile-ups and numerous injuries and casualties.
  2. Under-rides: The beds of tractor trailers being higher than most passenger vehicles, cars that trail trucks are in danger of ending up under the truck if they drive too close and the truck suddenly stops.
  3. Squeeze Play: Trucks, in order to make turns, need to swing wide to the left if they are taking a right turn or vice versa, because of their trailer lengths. Such situations lead to accidents if the driver does not notice smaller vehicles behind or beside the truck. Car drivers are often equally at fault in such situations if they try to cut between the truck and the curb, getting squeezed in between both with fatal consequences.
  4. Hazardous Cargo: Semi trucks that are loaded with hazardous materials are prone to cause casualties if the shipment catches fire. Fires fueled by gallons of fuel burn up everything in the area, including other vehicles and houses.
  5. Rollovers: Trucks are prone to rollovers if they take curves too fast or if the rear tires collide with any object while taking a turn. Tires on pavements can also lead to rollovers, as can jack-knifing and overloading.
  6. Poor Maintenance: Improper maintenance of aspects like tire pressure, brake and other fluids, lights and turn signals, windshield wipers and mirrors, electrical connections, steering mechanism, reflectors, horn, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and other emergency equipment is a surefire accident waiting to happen. Defective or old tires can fail or burst causing the driver to lose control and let the truck slide, stop suddenly, jack-knife or roll over.
  7. Substandard inspection: Figures from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) state that of 2 million trucks inspected on the road, 23.2 percent were found to be in violation of rules and regulations. Is there any wonder that defective trucks contribute to a large number of disastrous road accidents?
  8. Obstructions on the road: Trucks are prone to collisions if there are obstructions on the road, and if road signs and other objects are hindered by trees or buildings.
  9. Stopping distance: Rear-end collisions are common when truck drivers do not stop in time or if they underestimate the distance needed to come to a complete stop after the brakes are applied. Trucks being huge vehicles need a longer stopping distance, 40 percent more, than other vehicles.
  10. Off-track: Semi-trucks risk causing untold damage and disaster when they turn at high speeds and swing into adjacent lanes without any warning whatsoever.
  11. Untrained Drivers: Truck drivers must meet rigorous standards to be fit to drive these monstrous vehicles; according to the Department of Transportation, they should pass a physical exam every two years to renew their licenses, with competent medical examiners certifying them free of any condition that impairs ability to operate a truck. A commercial driver’s license is required to handle vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds, carrying 16 passengers including the driver, or loaded with hazardous materials. The failure of employers to check credentials and driving history when hiring new drivers is a major cause for road accidents involving semi-trucks.
  12. Fatigue: Drivers push themselves to reach destinations faster by depriving themselves of sleep. Invariably, weariness catches up with even the best of them and accidents happen. Some with sleep apnea conditions are also more accident-prone.
  13. Driving under the influence: Truck drivers are not allowed to operate their vehicles if they have a blood alcohol concentration of .02 or higher, according to the Code of Federal Regulations. The failure to comply with this rule is a definite recipe for a tractor-trailer disaster on the road.
  14. Driver Distractions: if there’s one place that’s better off with less technology, it’s a truck driver’s cab. Mobile phones and small television sets are distractions that can lead to accidents on the highway in the blink of an eye.
  15. Speeding: Rash driving and speeding in a hurry to get to one’s destination are a major reason why so many trucks are involved in collisions on the freeway. Methods of compensation that reward faster delivery times do not help this situation. Truck drivers have been known to cause accidents by running traffic lights, going over speed limits, and driving aggressively.
  16. Longer Combination Vehicles (LCV): These vehicles, which comprise two or more trailers, have a higher percentage of jack-knifing, rolling over or swaying and losing control, simply because of their sheer length and weight. They require extreme caution, both to drive and to pass by on the road.
  17. No Zones: The areas in front of, behind, and near the wheels of a semi truck, also known as the truck’s blind spots because of the driver’s limited visibility, do their part to contribute to the rise of truck accidents, mostly when other vehicles do not keep a safe distance from trucks or when the truck driver is not careful when turning or changing lanes.
  18. Poor driving conditions: Nature is to blame too for the increase in trucking accidents – fog, snow, sleet, rain and smoke are all deterrents to safe driving, more so when the vehicles are gargantuan.
  19. Failure to yield right of way: Car drivers who do not understand that trucks should be given the right of way have only themselves to blame when they are involved in a nasty accident with the huge vehicles.
  20. Improperly loaded cargo: Cargo on semi-trucks should be properly distributed and secured so that it does not shift during the journey, as must the tailgate, tailboard, doors, tarpaulin and spare tires. Drivers are responsible for checking the cargo after the first 50 miles, and again after 3 hours or 150 miles, whichever comes first, and making any required adjustments. Improperly loaded trucks tend to roll over or cause spillage on the road leading to vehicle pileups on the freeway.