Texas Truck Wreck Attorney Blog

*The average semi truck and trailer is 70 to 80 feet long - 4 of them end to end make a football field.

*Depending on road conditions, weight of the load and several other factors, the length of time to stop an eighteen wheeler is 40% greater than that of an automobile. To be sure, it takes a much greater time to stop than an automobile... period.

*Trucks only have 10 brakes NOT eighteen as some have told me they thought. Trucks made now are required to have anti-lock brakes.

*The most common amount of gears in an 18 wheeler today is 10 forward and 2 reverse gears. Although they can range from 9, 10, 13, 15, and 18 gears!

*The flaps underneath the semi truck trailer are actually there to improve performance. Wind skirts under the trailer significantly reduce wind resistance and reduce airflow around the trailer. This is a big fuel economy benefit.

*According to the Department of Transportation, freight tonnage is expected to increase 70 percent between 1998 and 2020.

*In 1919 C.L. Cummins invented the first semi-truck diesel engine. In the 1930s Peterbilt designed the semi-truck body.

*While the cost of semi-truck insurance will vary by insurance provider, drivers can expect the monthly cost of insurance for a semi-truck to be an average of 10 to 30 times higher than the monthly cost of insurance for a personal vehicle (due to the increased injury potential of a truck accident).

*Most semi tractors have powerful engines and a manual transmission with between 12 and 18 gears. These rigs are typically configured with three axles and 10 wheels--two on the front axle and dual tires on both sides of the rear axles.

*Many semi tractors feature sleeping quarters behind the cab. These accommodations may range from a sleeping a bunk to miniature efficiencies decked out with microwave ovens and refrigerators and even TVs. CB radios and thunderously loud air horns are other common semi tractor accessories.

*Since fuel economy has become a crucial factor in freight transportation, the designers of Freightliner's new Cascadia semi tractor used the results from 2,500 hours of aerodynamic tests in a wind tunnel to improve its mileage capabilities. In addition to a lightweight aluminum cab that is both wider and quieter than other semi tractors, the Cascadia features ergonomic controls designed specifically for driver comfort. But these innovations are not cheap--the Cascadia is priced at more than $120,000.

Continue reading "Things You Wanted to Know About Big Rigs- But Were Afraid to Ask" »

Almost every type of product in this country has spent some time on a 18-wheeler before reaching its final destination as a product on American shelves. OTR or long haulers are usually able to make their own schedules.

They are often responsible for loading and unloading their cargo, keeping accurate logs or account of their activities and ensuring their equipment is in safe and good working condition. Reports indicate the average truck driver makes anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000 a year minus traveling expenses and insurance.

The government mandates maximum driving hours and rest periods between shifts. This is to help ensure the public's safety so that drivers don't push themselves to work when they are drowsy or tired.

However, this limits the amount of money a driver can make and husband and wife driving teams are more common as a way to compensate for the limitations. Too, companies may employ two drivers to spot each other as another way to minimize the downtime.

Interestingly enough, although the country itself has been in an economic downturn over the last couple years - the trucking industry has been all but immune to it. However, truck drivers pay (like a lot of us) has not kept pace with the higher costs of living, which results in truckers wanting to drive more miles to just keep up.

Overall job opportunities for the trucking industry are favorable -especially for long haulers. Employment of truck drivers and driver/sales workers is expected to grow 9 percent over the 2008-18 decade, which is about as fast as the average for all occupations.

As the economy grows, the demand for goods will increase, which will lead to more job opportunities. Because it is such a large occupation, 291,900 new jobs will be created over the 2008-18 period.

Finally, the number of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is expected to grow 13 percent between 2008 and 2018.

Lets hope that as part of that growth trucking companies add competent safety personnel to keep the drivers and the equipment up to par.

Continue reading "Trucking Poised for Growth" »

What is involved in getting a CDL or the acquisition of commercial drivers' license? In order to drive any type of a commercial vehicle in Texas a person must first obtain and maintain in good standing a regular driver's license for at least a year and be at least 21 years old before applying for a CDL.

Next the person must take and pass the Texas Commercial Driver's License Examination that applies to the type of commercial vehicle a person will be driving. There are numerous training courses available for those who wish to pursue this career path - and none will be touted in favor of another.

The course work often covers the nature of specific concerns related to passenger vehicle driving (such as school buses), and separately tank and hazardous vehicle driving.

In addition, the CDL also covers pre-trip inspection of vehicles, basic vehicle control or maneuvering and the actual road trip itself. Want step by step directions? Follow the advice below and you will be on your way to commercial driving before you know it.

1. Visit your Texas driver's license office. Take your driver's license, social security card and qualification certification form. Also take proof of insurance.

2. Get the appropriate form for the CDL - ensuring you have the form for the class of driving you intend to do. (And be prepared for the appropriate certifications).

3. Take the written exam and vision test. Pass it.

4. Take the driving test. You must provide your own commercial vehicle.

5. Pay the fee - get photographed and fingerprinted.

Continue reading "CDL- it not that difficult to get" »

Let us continue our discussion on the trucking industry by examining related financial statistics.
According the website listed at the end of this blog the "total revenue estimates produced by the trucking industry are 255.5 billion. Of this figure 'for hire' or 'common carriers trucking' companies generated revenue estimated at 97.9 billion.

They outdid air transportation by 18 billion. Private fleets generated revenue estimated at 121 billion. Their operating ratio is 95.2 which means for every dollar in revenue the trucking company has a cost of 95.2 cents leaving them with a profit of 4.8 cents.

The driver makes approximately 30.3 cents per mile with an average yearly income of $32,000. It costs 41.73 cents per mile to operate a semi or $83.68 per hour. Finally, trucks consumed 53.9 billion gallons of fuel for business".

These stats further confirm the contention that the trucking industry is completely entwined in the American economy and I offer that were it to falter or meet its demise would be to strike a catastrophic blow. For the time being semis and other trucks will be around into the near future.

However, while I attempt with each blog to inform the reader about a topic related to the act of driving I will take a moment to opine. Our firm is deeply entrenched in all things accident related and it is our unfortunate lot to see the results of collisions up close and personal.

As stated in previous blogs semis account for anywhere from 9% to 12% of traffic deaths annually across the country. These scenes and their aftermath are heart wrenching and haunting. But it will not prevent truckers from hitting the road so what must be done is to continue our quest to prevent truck accidents instead.

Continue reading "Trucking is big business part 2" »

Trucking is big business in this country. One reliable source offers the following statistics.

"The trucking companies, warehouses and private sector in the U.S. employs an estimated 8.9 million people employed in trucking-related jobs; nearly 3.5 million were truck drivers. Of this figure UPS employs 60,000 workers and 9% are owner operators. LTL shippers account for around 13.6 percent of America's trucking sector"(click on the website at the end of this blog for more information).

In addition, there are about 15 and a half million trucks on U.S. roadways of which 2 million are semis and trucks deliver 70% of all freight in the country. These figures give one cause to pause. I doubt there isn't a person out there who hasn't been annoyed by semi trucks on the road at one time or another.

They're oversized and intimidating alongside any automobile or SUV on the market and there can be no question they are harmful to the environment. To safely pass one most people can be seen catching their breath and saying a silent prayer. The same holds true when a semi comes up behind you or zooms by with enough force to rock your vehicle.

Yet, a little respect please. The trucking industry is vital to the American economy. Until someone either comes up with an alternative, viable solution for transporting goods from one coast to the other or Americans show signs of waning materialism - turning their backs on acquiring the latest anything - then semi trucks will be a regular spectacle on our highways and we all will need to drive safely.

Continue reading "Trucking is big business" »