Celadon, one of the biggest trucking companies in the Nation, abruptly went out of business in December, following 800 other trucking companies that went bankrupt last year. Among the causes of this downturn in business are the strains of the tariff war with China and an overall decline in shipping rates. This industry-wide issue has many trucking companies in a desperate position, trying to cut costs to maintain profitability.
Unfortunately, with trucking companies focused on surviving, it is hard to imagine that their decisions will make other people on the road any safer. Based on our years of experience in representing victims of truck accidents, there is no shortage of companies that may engage in the following practices:
- Riding the Line of Minimal Standards—Trucking companies are legally obligated to inspect and maintain their trucks under the law. Truck maintenance is expensive and cuts into profitability. Therefore, some companies will make reckless decisions and put unsafe trucks onto the roads.
- Compelling Unreasonable Delivery Times on Drivers—There are strict federal regulations on a truck driver’s hours of service (HOS), which mandate strict driver logs, breaks, and limits to the number of hours in a day and week that a truck driver can drive. When trucking companies impose unreasonable deadlines on their drivers, this puts drivers in a position to drive in a state of fatigue and violation of the law.
- Illegal Loads—Without a special permit, a tractor-trailer is allowed to weigh a maximum of 80,000 lbs. By comparison, most passenger vehicles weigh less than 5,000 pounds. There is a legitimate safety purpose underlying the weight limit, so when trucking companies try to save money by overloading their truck, they create significant risks for others.
- Putting Unsafe Drivers on the Road—There is an unprecedented shortage of truck drivers, which has led desperate trucking companies and the American Trucking Associations to recruit inexperienced drivers and even seek to lower the driving age for a commercial truck license to 18. There is no world in which younger, less experienced truck drivers make the rest of us safer.
Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman L.L.P. is Here for You
As members of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, we understand that truck accidents often have horrific consequences. At Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman, L.L.P., our award-winning attorneys have a record of successfully obtaining damages for truck accident victims and their families. Let us fight for you. Call Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman L.L.P. today at (775) 227-2280 to schedule a free case consultation or contact our office through our website.