I'm not a truck driver, nor do I play one on television, but I think driving a semi is probably a lot safer than flying in a Boeing 737 MAX, Aeroflot, Ethiopian Airlines or Malaysia Airlines jet.
Truck crashes are killing more people, despite better inspections and more oversight. How safe are Colorado’s roads?
Deadly I-70 wreck was unusually severe, but fatality rates have been rising in the last decade.
I-70 truck crash near Denver part of rise in fatal wrecks, despite better oversight
Where do I start?
1. Electric logs make it easier for trucking companies to see how many hours drivers have available to drive. It you have hours, you can drive. Freight needs to be moved.
As a new driver in 1998, I can't tell you how many times I've driven tired because I had hours and freight had to be moved. New drivers can feel they better move, or risk being punished for not doing so.
2. Other drivers. Mostly those in cars, pickups, and SUVs. They drive with their head up their ass and wonder why they get into accidents. It's ok to cut off a trucker, just so you can get off an the next exit.
How qualified is that truck driver? Can they stop at that same exit you just got off of?
You can survive a fender bender with another car. You may not if it's with a truck.
3. Lots of new drivers. Trucking companies and truck driving schools are turning out drivers at a fast pace. They can't wait 8 weeks for them to complete their training. They need them now, so they can move freight.
A lot of these people have no business behind the wheel of a semi tractor trailer. They can drive. They can pick up and deliver freight. But they can't handle the trucking life or driving up to 11 hours a day.
They don't know how to navigate 16 miles of 6% downhill grades. Or 50 mile an hour roads that take you from Tennessee to North Carolina.
4. Distractions. They are magnified 100 fold when your in a truck.
At 60 MPH, it takes over 300 feet for an 18 wheeler to stop. That's over twice the distance it takes a car to stop.
Put a cell phone in their hand, and I'm sure it will take a little bit longer.
