Truckers are required by law to conduct load checks periodically to ensure that cargo is properly secured and to adjust the load as needed. In other words, a fully-loaded tractor-trailer may be twenty times as heavy as a passenger vehicle. An average new car, by comparison, is about 4,000 pounds. The gross weight limit for tractor-trailers depends on the number of axles and can range from 20,000 pounds for a single axle truck up to 80,000 pounds for a truck on five axles (the trucking industry is currently lobbying Congress to allow for six-axle trucks that can carry even more weight). Federal Law Limits Commercial Vehicle Weights and Requires Frequent Checks of Loads Our firm fights to see that truck accident victims receive every penny of compensation due to them under the law. The Louisville truck accident attorneys at the Slechter Law Firm hold drivers and carriers accountable for their negligence or intentional misconduct on the Dixie Highway and elsewhere in the state. Even worse, trucking companies have been known to intentionally overload their trucks in order to deliver more cargo in a single trip. Unfortunately, tractor-trailers are sometimes negligently loaded by truckers and motor carriers in a hurry to get on the road and get to their destination as soon as possible. Sadly for the unfortunate motorist involved in a collision with a semi-truck, the heavier the truck, the more forceful the accident, and the more likely it that the car wreck victims will suffer catastrophic injury or death. ![]() Overweight trucks go uphill too slowly and downhill too fast, posing a hazard to other vehicles on the road. The driver is much more likely to lose control of a truck hauling an unbalanced load, and overweight rigs can cause the collapse of roads, bridges, and overpasses. ![]() Overloaded trucks are more susceptible to tire failure or brake failure, or to jackknife or rollover due to the higher center of gravity. Commercial trucks haul literally tons of cargo in their trailers, and an overweight, overloaded, or unbalanced semi is a recipe for disaster.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |