Improperly Loaded Tractor Trailer Trucks Pose Hidden Hazard to Driver and Public
by admin on 25/06/11 at 1:44 am
It’s tough enough to earn one’s living driving an 18-wheeler. Drivers face long hours, rising fuel costs,and truck companies that send them out to make a delivery and refuse to pay the driver for the return trip if he or she has an empty load. Those are all problems with the business that are known to the driver. Then there are hazards that may be more difficult for truck drivers to discover. These include shoddy maintenance of the tractor trailer truck. Drivers are required to inspect the truck and trailer before each trip, but poor maintenance may result in some defect going undetected in the pre-trip inspection. One hazard that may be even more difficult for tractor trailer truck drivers to uncover is improperly loaded cargo.
Shifting cargo can cause tractor trailer trucks to overturn. This phenomenon occurred earlier this week in Lexington, NC when a load of paper shifted inside a tractor trailer truck, causing the truck to overturn. The 22 year old driver was thrown from and pinned under the truck. Unfortunately, the young man later died from his injuries. Reports from Lexington indicate that the truck was owned by Watkins Shepard of Conover, NC, so the driver was not an owner-operator. The same report states that the truck was en route from Connecticut to Charlotte, NC, but it does not saywho was responsible for loading the paper into the trailer.
