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Aug 29, 2015

INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS * USA: A risky business for truck fleets

* Wiscosin - Drivers with less CDL experience, could result in punitive damages against the trucking company
-- Many truck fleets today are motivated to put a driver in a seat to get the truck moving. This is something clients often ask us about, and may become more prevalent if federal law is changed to allow under-21 CDL holders to operate trucks on an Interstate basis... With the shortage of drivers, many companies are okay with (or becoming okay with) hiring drivers with little to no experience... This seems to make sense, but trucking companies hiring inexperienced drivers may be opening themselves up to more risk than it’s worth. When hiring someone this green, it is critical to consider the cost of hiring, training, and retaining this driver along with the possible negligent hiring suits you could be opening the door to should the driver be involved in a serious accident... Plaintiff’s attorneys know as much (if not sometimes more) than the average trucking company about proper hiring for drivers... In cases where a plaintiff attorney can prove to a jury that the trucking company didn’t hire drivers of acceptable competency, or that the federally mandated paperwork is incomplete, a suit for negligent hiring may result... In some cases, this results in punitive damages, which may or may not be covered by an insurance company. In some states, insurance companies are prohibited from paying punitive damages... This means that the trucking company is responsible for theses damages. Proceed with caution — the hiring of drivers who are unqualified due to inexperience, tickets, or accidents could jeopardize the future of your trucking company... 
Milwaukee, WIS, USA - Trucking News on Line, by Denise Banks - August 16, 2015

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posted by Unknown @ 3:59 AM  0 comments

Jun 30, 2008

STUDY * USA - Drivers at highest risk on first day back after break

Driving after a break appears to be one of the greatest traffic risks for commercial vehicle drivers, according to a recent study



Washington,DC,USA -Truck News (CAN), by Jan Westell -27 June 2008: -- ... The study, conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VITT) and funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), indicates that there is a potential for a "safety critical event," not only on the first day, but also within the first hour – according to previous research funded by the same agency – which shows a "trend" between the two studies, according to one of the researchers... The most recent VTTI "naturalist truck driving study" suggests that driving after a two-day break is a potentially risky period for a "safety critical event" (SCE) which could be a "crash, a near-crash or a crash relevant conflict," according to the study terms. Researchers don't know why that first day after a break is so potentially risky for a SCE, but they now have a great deal of data that will allow them to further analyze that type of activity and how it might be contributing to the truck drivers crash or conflict... (Video from YouTube, by rcaston19 - October 19, 2006: "KENTUCKY UPS TRUCK CRASH")

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posted by Unknown @ 1:31 PM  0 comments

Oct 30, 2007

WARNING * USA - Life in the waiting lane

Warning motorists of the rollover hazard for large vehicles

Glens Falls,NY,USA -The Glens Falls Post-Star, by DON LEHMAN -October 29, 2007: -- Traffic was nearly at a standstill, with some motorists complaining they barely moved for more than an hour and needed three hours to travel the four or so miles between exits 18 and 17 of the Northway... The scene played out the afternoon and evening of Oct. 8, after a tractor-trailer carrying junk cars flipped over near Exit 17. It was one of the worst traffic jams in the area in years... Many who were stuck in the backup questioned why they were forced to sit in the southbound lanes on one of the biggest travel days of the year, the end of Columbus Day weekend... With several highway U-turns between the exits, some drivers said they should have been allowed to turn around and head north to find an alternate route. State Police cars blocked the U-turns during the backup, and also closed southbound entrances at a number of interchanges to the north...(Photo by Nathan Pallace/The Post-Star - Traffic signs posted on the sharp turn along the southbound Northway on ramp at Exit 17 warn motorist of the rollover hazard for large vehicles)

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