General Law

What Measures Should Trucking Companies Take to Keep their Trucks Safe on the Road?

Truck Cloudy Dark Road

Taking the necessary measures to keep their trucks safe on the road is part of the trucking company’s mandatory set of responsibilities. Given how big, powerful and heavy semi-trucks are, a single negligent decision can jeopardize the lives of several people in one accident.

Of course, nothing can guarantee road safety with complete certainty, since the trucks mostly work out of their employer’s direct range of control. Nevertheless, taking the right precautionary measures can still significantly reduce the chances of a truck accident. If you or anyone close to you has been in a commercial truck related accident lately, the following should prove useful information for you as well. Look for truck accident lawyers and they should be able to explain how this information can help you build a stronger case against the trucking company.

Regular and Routine Maintenance Checks

In addition to periodic maintenance checks, even the best, brand new commercial trucks must also be routinely checked for possible issues before every trip. These short checks must assure the driver that the truck is not in any significant state of disrepair that can lead to an accident. These checks must be performed to test the truck’s hull integrity, braking system, lights, horns, rearview mirrors and engine condition above all else. The employer should take it upon themselves to get every truck checked properly by their in-house experts, before they are allowed to set out onto the road.

Frequent Contact Rule

It doesn’t matter what time of the night or day it is, if the driver is on the road, they must be in frequent verbal communication with the monitoring station. This helps to ensure that the truck driver is awake and alert at all times. The monitoring station should also be able to read their response time and speech to decide whether they should be driving at that time or not.

Use of Truck Safety Tech

Over the years, technological advancements have come a long way within the trucking industry and the following are bright examples of how they can make roads safer for both truckers and their fellow drivers on any road:

  • FMCSA speed limiters halve the chances of a commercial truck accident
  • Automated geofencing can significantly lower a commercial truck’s chances of getting into an accident or being robbed
  • Electronic on-board recorders can prevent DOT violations, HOS noncompliance factors, resource wastage, inefficiency and poor driving practices
  • Passive suspension seating arrangements can severely reduce the chances of long-haul truckers developing lower back injuries
  • Usage of simulation technology in a controlled environment allows drivers to be better prepared for reacting better to emergency situations in real life

Above all else, it is essential for trucking companies to sufficiently train their drivers not just after their initial employment, but also before a new piece of technology is installed in the trucks every time. Without the sufficient training necessary to use the new safety tech, they will either become useless, or even counterproductive to on-road safety for commercial trucks.

Would you like to receive similar articles by email?

Zara Jones is a valued contributor to various CosmoBC's blogs.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *