Tractor Trailer Accidents

Indiana trucking firm shut down over numerous safety violations

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered U & D Service, Inc. of Indianapolis, Indiana, to immediately cease all transportation operations involving interstate commerce, declaring the commercial truck company an “imminent hazard” to public safety. The regulatory agency said that in conducting an extensive review of the Indiana trucking firm’s operations, it uncovered [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Indiana trucking firm shut down over numerous safety violations

NC company ordered to reinstate driver fired for reporting faulty brakes

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered a North Carolina commercial printing company to reinstate a former truck driver it fired after he reported safety concerns about his company-owned truck. An investigation conducted under OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program found that Salisbury-based Rowan Business Forms violated the Surface Transportation Assistance Act’s whistleblower provision [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › NC company ordered to reinstate driver fired for reporting faulty brakes

Investigators probing why two tractor trailers stopped on I-75 before pileup

An ongoing investigation of the deadly multivehicle pileup on both southbound and northbound stretches of I-75 in Florida has raised a couple of questions about procedure in the event foggy conditions impair highway visibility: First, why did the Florida Highway Patrol reopen the interstate to traffic after it had been closed about three hours due [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Investigators probing why two tractor trailers stopped on I-75 before pileup

New medical certification requirements go in effect for commercial drivers

As of January 30, 2012, a new federal mandate requires all commercial driver’s license holders to provide information to their state driver licensing agency regarding the type of commercial vehicle operations they work for or expect to work for. The new federal requirement is intended to make U.S. highways and roads safer by restricting certain [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › New medical certification requirements go in effect for commercial drivers

Blinding fog and smoke eyed as a cause of deadly Florida pileup

Survivors of a deadly multi-vehicle pileup on Interstate 75 south of Gainesville, Florida, blamed a blinding mixture of fog and smoke from a brush fire for the crash that killed 10 people and injured 18 others, some of them seriously. Much like the deadly December 29 pileup on I-10 in New Orleans, the Florida crashes [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Blinding fog and smoke eyed as a cause of deadly Florida pileup

FMCSA’s final hours-of-service rule published

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced its final rule on hours-of-service (HOS) regulations that govern work and rest periods for commercial truck drivers. Trucking companies and drivers have until July 1, 2013, to comply with the rule changes, which Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said “will help prevent fatigue-related truck crashes and save lives.” [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › FMCSA’s final hours-of-service rule published

Rogue bus company continues service despite federal orders to stop

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued an immediate cease and desist order against a Pennsylvania bus company that federal inspectors ordered off the road in December after deeming it to be an “immediate hazard” to public safety. Double Happyness (sic) Travel Inc. of Huntingdon Valley, Penn., was found to be selling passenger [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Rogue bus company continues service despite federal orders to stop

First sleepy trucker case settled for $3 million, sleep-apnea rules to come

The first lawsuit against a commercial carrier blaming sleep apnea for contributing to a fatal highway crash was settled earlier this month in Texas. Wanda Lindsay, who became an activist against sleep apnea in the trucking industry after her husband was killed in a May 2010 crash, settled with Celadon for $3 million. Mrs. Lindsay [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › First sleepy trucker case settled for $3 million, sleep-apnea rules to come

Highway crash kills truck driver, leaves mother and daughters dangling from bridge

A harrowing crash near the Southern California town of Buellton Thursday left a tractor trailer driver dead and three people in a mangled BMW hanging perilously over the side of a bridge on a mountainous stretch of Highway 101. According to the California Highway Patrol, a gravel truck was traveling northbound in the fast lane [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Highway crash kills truck driver, leaves mother and daughters dangling from bridge

Korean nationals injured in Nevada Amtrak crash sue truck company

Personal-injury and wrongful-death lawsuits continue to pile up against John Davis Trucking Company of Battle Mountain, Nevada, after one of its trucks ran a crossing gate and slammed into the side of a double-decker Amtrak train June 24, killing five people and injuring 20 others. The latest victims of that crash to file a lawsuit [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Korean nationals injured in Nevada Amtrak crash sue truck company

States must track truckers’ health electronically or risk losing federal funds

Congress directed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in 2005 to implement an electronic system for storing commercial truck and bus drivers’ medical certificates to reduce a problematic paper system rife with errors and fraud. The states, in turn, were given a deadline of September 30, 2013 by the FMCSA to comply with the [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › States must track truckers’ health electronically or risk losing federal funds

FMCSA warns bus companies, passengers of third-party safety certifications

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been receiving numerous inquiries regarding third-party inspectors offering “safety certifications” to commercial motorcoach companies, prompting the agency to issue a warning to the bus companies and passengers alike that such certifications aren’t approved by federal regulators. “Companies using aggressive marketing tactics to sell ‘inspections’ and ‘authorized lists’ are [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › FMCSA warns bus companies, passengers of third-party safety certifications

New report underscores commercial trucking safety concerns

Commercial driver applications with incomplete or inaccurate information jumped 20 percent from 11.78 percent in 2010 to 31.42 percent in 2011, according to the 2011 LexisNexis Commercial Driver Safety report, prepared by the risk analysis company to help commercial carriers improve safety and compliance. “Non-compliance due to missing previous employment checks, annual review, driver’s license, [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › New report underscores commercial trucking safety concerns

National handheld cell phone ban for commercial drivers now in effect

Interstate truck and bus drivers can no longer use handheld cell phones while driving, according to a final rule issued jointly by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The new rule went into effect January 3. Commercial drivers found in violation of the rule will face federal [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › National handheld cell phone ban for commercial drivers now in effect

FMCSA safety inspector imprisoned for accepting trucking companies’ bribes

A Department of Transportation official was sentenced to 18 months in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to accepting bribes from the trucking companies he was supposed to be inspecting, a felony under U.S. law. In addition to the prison sentence, James H. Wood, 45, of Delevan, New York, was also ordered to forfeit $41,300 to [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › FMCSA safety inspector imprisoned for accepting trucking companies’ bribes

Pileup on I-10 New Orleans kills 2, injures 62

A deadly pileup of more than 40 vehicles on Interstate 10 West outside New Orleans Thursday included about half a dozen tractor trailers. Pictures and raw video of the pre-dawn pileup show the mangled wreckage of several cars and pickup trucks scattered across all lanes of the interstate and smashed up against a number of [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Pileup on I-10 New Orleans kills 2, injures 62

Sleep apnea likely to impact federal regulations, commercial truck drivers

“If you could have seen the scene that killed my husband … or any of the other scenes that have been tied to sleep apnea and truck wrecks, it does look like a war zone,” said Wanda Lindsay of New Braunfels, Texas in a public meeting about the dangers of sleep apnea to commercial truck [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Sleep apnea likely to impact federal regulations, commercial truck drivers

Distracted-driving crashes prompt NTSB push for driver cell phone ban

When the National Transportation Safety Board called for a complete ban on cell phones and handheld devices for commercial truck drivers earlier this year, the agency cited the horrific May 2010 truck crash that left 11 people dead on a Munfordville, Kentucky, highway. Now the NTSB is endorsing a much wider ban that would prohibit [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Distracted-driving crashes prompt NTSB push for driver cell phone ban

2010 truck crash numbers prove HOS rules need improvement, safety groups say

Last month, President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) sent a letter to Cass Sustein, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, asking whether federal regulators had a “legitimate reason” to tighten the current hours-of-service (HOS) rules. Mr. Graves noted that the latest safety statistics (2009) showed historically low levels of [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › 2010 truck crash numbers prove HOS rules need improvement, safety groups say

Should the federal government and states allow heavier truck loads?

The debate over whether to raise the weight limits for commercial trucks on federal interstate highways is heating up after Maine and Vermont passed legislation last week allowing trucks exceeding the 40-ton limit on its interstates for the next 20 years. Advocates of the weight increase want to see the limit increased on a national [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Should the federal government and states allow heavier truck loads?

Unsafe motor carriers can slide through loopholes, re-open under a new name

A report in Monday’s Baltimore Sun exposes how easy it is for some motor carriers with a long history of safety violations and crashes to reincarnate under a new name and business license after authorities shut them down. These are the companies that repeatedly demonstrate a blaring disregard for the law, take advantage of regulatory [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Unsafe motor carriers can slide through loopholes, re-open under a new name

Loopholes allow bad commercial drivers to stay behind the wheel

Considering all the efforts the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is giving to restricting hours-of-service rules and drivers with sleep apnea in the name of safety, the loopholes in federal laws that allow unsafe commercial drivers with a history of violations to stay behind the wheel seem all the more outrageous. An investigative report by [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Loopholes allow bad commercial drivers to stay behind the wheel

Arkansas jury finds trucking company liable for man’s death, issues verdict for $7 million

A Kentucky trucking company must pay $7 million in damages for hiring an unqualified driver and pushing him to drive an excessively long route, which resulted in a crash that killed another commercial truck driver, a U.S. District Court jury in Harrison, Arkansas, ordered. Dunaway Timber Co. of Fordsville, KY hired Morgan Quisenberry, 54, to [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Arkansas jury finds trucking company liable for man’s death, issues verdict for $7 million

Farm trucks often exempted from commercial regulations, but not from liability

Throughout the Midwest, farmers are harvesting their final crops of the season, which means more large farm trucks laden with grain are out on the roads, hauling their produce to suppliers. Here in the Deep South, the story is much the same; big rigs carrying tons of cotton and other harvests to market share the [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Farm trucks often exempted from commercial regulations, but not from liability

Truck driver receives $10 million for injuries received in Walmart parking lot

The Colorado Supreme Court has upheld an award of nearly $10 million to a commercial truck driver who sued Walmart after she slipped and fell in the parking lot of a northern Colorado branch while making a delivery in December 2007. Holly Averyt, 41, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, alleged in her lawsuit against the retail giant [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Truck driver receives $10 million for injuries received in Walmart parking lot

NTSB investigators recreate parts of fatal Amtrak crash outside Reno

Federal officials investigating the deadly June 24 Amtrak crash near Reno, Nevada, say the train’s engineer sounded the horn at least 4 times before a commercial truck hauling a double trailer ran the crossing gate and crashed into the train, killing six people and injuring 20 others. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded a five-day [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › NTSB investigators recreate parts of fatal Amtrak crash outside Reno

Discount passenger buses can be a deadly choice, NTSB report warns

Low-cost, discount buses that pick passengers up from street curbs are seven times more likely to become involved in a fatal crash than buses operated by traditional motor coach companies that depart and arrive at a central terminal, according to a newly released report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The report, prompted mainly [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Discount passenger buses can be a deadly choice, NTSB report warns

Fuel tanker explodes near Houston

The driver of a fuel tanker told police that he heard a loud pop as he traveled along U.S. 59 in Sugar Land, Texas, Thursday night. He exited the freeway about 11:30 p.m. to investigate and found that the back wheels of his truck, which was laden with 9,000 gallons of diesel, were on fire. [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Fuel tanker explodes near Houston

Secretary LaHood warns Republican senator not to obstruct proposed hours-of-service changes

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood sent a letter last week to Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire asking her not to obstruct his agency’s proposed hours-of-service rule changes. Secretary LaHood, himself a Republican, has been a strong advocate for better motor carrier safety and strongly endorses the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed HOS changes, [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Secretary LaHood warns Republican senator not to obstruct proposed hours-of-service changes

Mexican truck makes first long-haul U.S. delivery

U.S. government-approved Mexican truck drivers and carriers begin making long-haul deliveries across the border into the United States today under the recommencement of a program mandated by the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The cross-border program has resumed despite heated opposition by opponents who claim it will lead to a loss of American [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Mexican truck makes first long-haul U.S. delivery

Operation Safe Driver aims to improve commercial driving safety across three countries

Law enforcement authorities and regulators throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico launched a comprehensive truck safety program on Sunday in an effort to boost traffic safety on highways throughout North America. Sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and a number of private associations and government agencies, [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Operation Safe Driver aims to improve commercial driving safety across three countries

Commercial bus and trucks collide on Nebraska interstate

Several people were injured early Thursday morning when a commercial bus and semi truck collided with another commercial truck that had overturned on Interstate 80 in Gibbon, Nebraska. Police investigating the crash say that Mohamed Arguini, 39, of Antioch, Tenn., was hauling a truckload of dry cereal when he veered onto the median and then [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Commercial bus and trucks collide on Nebraska interstate

After devastating loss, Texas woman declares war on sleep apnea in the trucking industry

“I am on a mission. I am going to wage a war against sleep apnea in the trucking industry,” says Wanda Lindsay in an introductory video for a foundation she started to raise awareness about the dangers of sleep apnea and to honor the memory of her husband John. Last year, Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › After devastating loss, Texas woman declares war on sleep apnea in the trucking industry

Study finds CSA safety rating system works well, but still has flaws

An independent analysis of the CSA safety enforcement system, which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gradually phased in to replace the old SafeStat model, has found the new system to be a highly effective system overall, but says it still needs improvements in some parts. The study, conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Study finds CSA safety rating system works well, but still has flaws

Reducing fatigued driving: six tips to help you stay awake and alert behind the wheel

A commercial truck driver lost control of his five-axle dump truck on a U.S. highway in North Carolina Wednesday and crashed into a ditch. Authorities responding to the scene told Eastern North Carolina’s ENCToday.com that the 53-year-old driver, who received some minor injuries in the crash, dozed off behind the wheel and drove off the [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Reducing fatigued driving: six tips to help you stay awake and alert behind the wheel

GOP lawmakers poised to fight Hours of Service changes

Proposed Hours of Service (HOS) rules that restrict the number of consecutive driving hours for commercial drivers and increase their required periods of rest are being met with staunch opposition from some key Republican lawmakers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) expects to issue the new rules by the end of October. Opponents of [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › GOP lawmakers poised to fight Hours of Service changes

Montana log truck spill causes crash and road blockage

Kalispell, Montana’s KAJ18 reported that a logging truck driver received a citation after the trailer full of timber he was hauling became unhitched on a state highway near Bigfork, Montana, Thursday and set off a crash that blocked much of the road. A witness told KAJ18 that the tractor trailer had attempted to make a [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Montana log truck spill causes crash and road blockage

Police blame Maine Amtrak crash on distracted truck driver

Authorities leading the investigation of the crash between a commercial truck and Amtrak’s Downeaster train said the truck driver was distracted, possibly by a cell phone, and blamed the collision on driver inattention. The crash occurred in North Berwick, Maine, July 11 when driver Peter Barnum, 35, failed to stop at a railroad crossing and [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Police blame Maine Amtrak crash on distracted truck driver

First Mexican carrier gets green light to make long hauls north of the border

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has given the green light to one of the seven Mexican trucking companies seeking long-haul operating rights within the United States under a controversial NAFTA pilot program. Grupo Behr de Baja California, a commercial trucking company based in Tijuana, was authorized to operate in the U.S. under a previous [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › First Mexican carrier gets green light to make long hauls north of the border

NTSB calls for comprehensive commercial-truck cell phone ban

When Kenneth Laymon, a commercial truck driver from Jasper, Alabama, made a phone call from his truck, it took one second for that small distraction to escalate into a brutal crash that left 11 people dead on a Kentucky highway. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now using the Munfordville, Ky., crash to back [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › NTSB calls for comprehensive commercial-truck cell phone ban

U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking agreement threatened by lawsuit

A cross-border pilot program that would allow Mexican long-haul trucks to make deliveries within the United States is being challenged in court over concerns that the Mexican trucks and drivers would not be safe enough for U.S. roads. The Teamsters and Public Citizen filed a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation on Friday in an [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking agreement threatened by lawsuit

Electronic onboard recorders present new, unforeseen problems

The federal rule requiring electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs), devices designed to simplify hours of service (HOS) record-keeping for commercial trucks, has created a new set of problems that Truckinginfo.com describes as “complex and messy.” Just the simple exchange of EOBR data from truck driver to law enforcement officials, for instance, is a lot more complicated [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Electronic onboard recorders present new, unforeseen problems

Simple new test may help identify drivers at risk for sleep apnea, fatigue

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health are evaluating a new testing and screening method that may help identify commercial drivers at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleeping disorder that has been found to cause fatigue and slow reaction times. Lead researcher Stefanos N. Kales says the test, which [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Simple new test may help identify drivers at risk for sleep apnea, fatigue

Fuel tanker rollover spills thousands of gallons of diesel into Colorado creek

DENVER, Colo. –Environmental Protection Agency authorities were trying to determine the extent of environmental damage caused by a fuel tanker crash that occurred in the Denver area Saturday near Loveland Ski Area. Authorities investigating the crash say that the driver of a diesel tanker was driving too fast to properly navigate a hairpin curve on [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Fuel tanker rollover spills thousands of gallons of diesel into Colorado creek

California man named America’s top truck driver

Paul Phillips, a professional truck driver from Coarsegold, California, was named Grand Champion of the 2011 National Truck Driving Championships last week in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Phillips, who has driven commercial trucks for 35 years and has logged more than 1.6 million miles behind the wheel, drives for global transportation giant Con-Way Freight. Con-Way Freight [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › California man named America’s top truck driver

NHTSA stability-control-system requirement for tractors draws near

A new federal standard requiring stability control systems in commercial truck tractors is set to be published later this year, drawing a generally favorable response from trucking industry professionals, but leaving some worried about costs. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has pushed for the new proposal based on the demonstrated success of stability [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › NHTSA stability-control-system requirement for tractors draws near

Truck in 10-car Pennsylvania crash has poor safety record

A tractor trailer raced down the middle of a steep mountain highway in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania Wednesday, striking several other vehicles in what appears to be a case of mechanical failure. According to the Pocono Record, first responders initially reported the crash to be a “mass casualty incident,” but amazingly nobody was hurt [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Truck in 10-car Pennsylvania crash has poor safety record

Truck that caused fatal crash was being safety tested on busy MA highway

Massachusetts and Federal transportation authorities want to know why trucking company National Grid sent a potentially dangerous truck onto a busy Boston area intestate for a test drive Friday afternoon. The truck, a 2010 Freightliner M2 106 dump truck, was hauling a backhoe when something caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle and [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Truck that caused fatal crash was being safety tested on busy MA highway

Survey finds most professional truckers don’t understand CSA system

A new report released Wednesday by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) found that most commercial drivers don’t fully understand the new CSA safety enforcement program instituted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) last summer. The ATRI report, based on survey data collected from 4,555 U.S. drivers, also documents and evaluates the drivers’ [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Survey finds most professional truckers don’t understand CSA system

Commercial truck drivers head to Orlando for driving safety championship event

Professional truck drivers from all corners of the country are gathering in Orlando, Florida, this week for the annual National Truck Driving Championship, a 5-day event sponsored by the American Trucking Associations as a way to make safe driving a goal and a source of pride for thousands of drivers. The National Truck Driving Championship, [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Commercial truck drivers head to Orlando for driving safety championship event

Two commercial truck drivers and third motorist die in South Carolina crash

The drivers of two tractor trailers and another motorist were killed Saturday morning on a stretch of Interstate 85 in Anderson County, South Carolina, after one of the commercial trucks, traveling in the southbound lanes, veered over into the northbound section of the highway and struck another 18-wheeler head on. The horrific crash injured at [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Two commercial truck drivers and third motorist die in South Carolina crash

British Columbia truck crash kills vacationing California family

A family of four from California was killed in British Columbia, Canada, Friday after being struck by a flat-deck tractor trailer and trapped inside their van. The tragic crash happened just after 3 p.m. on Highway 93 in the Kootenay National Park in eastern BC, west of Calgary, Alberta. According to the Langley Times, the [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › British Columbia truck crash kills vacationing California family

Maine logging truck rollover kills 5-year-old asleep in house

There is no doubt logging trucks have a bad reputation. Anyone who lives near a timber operation or along a route heavily traveled by logging trucks has heard stories about poorly secured logs coming loose on the highway and causing horrific crashes. Seldom, however, do we hear of crashes as incomprehensible and tragic as the [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Maine logging truck rollover kills 5-year-old asleep in house

Defense lawyer says GPS, lack of warning signs led trucker into deadly mountain crash

A commercial truck driver faces seven serious criminal charges, including second-degree murder, after his 18-wheeler lost its brakes on a steep mountain highway near Los Angeles and plowed into traffic, killing a 12-year-old girl and her father. Jurors began deliberating Thursday morning after hearing the emotionally charged case, which involves Marcos Costa, a 46-year-old immigrant [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Defense lawyer says GPS, lack of warning signs led trucker into deadly mountain crash

Tire blowout eyed as cause of another fatal New York bus crash

Two women from India were killed and 35 others injured when a tour bus veered off a New York highway and flipped Sunday afternoon. The bus, operated by Bedore Tours, was transporting a group of visitors from India from Washington D.C. to Niagara Falls when one of the vehicle’s front tires blew out, causing the [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Tire blowout eyed as cause of another fatal New York bus crash

Medical condition eyed as cause of NY milk truck crash

Authorities investigating a truck crash in upstate New York say the driver may have suffered a medical problem that caused his vehicle to careen off the highway Sunday afternoon. According to The Citizen, a newspaper serving Cayuga County, N.Y., David Mosier, 45, was hauling thousands of gallons of milk along an upstate highway when he [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Medical condition eyed as cause of NY milk truck crash

Nevada train crash lawsuit blames Amtrak for faulty exit

An Amtrak Service Attendant who helped evacuate passengers from a burning train car after the deadly June 24 crash in the Nevada desert has filed a lawsuit against her employer. Plaintiff Lana Dickerson, 26, of Worth, Illinois, alleges that she and other passengers’ escape from the smoldering wreckage was hindered when they were blocked by [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Nevada train crash lawsuit blames Amtrak for faulty exit

Black-box data, cell phone records help investigators probing Amtrak’s Maine crash

Amtrak officials and authorities from a number of federal, state, and municipal agencies in North Berwick, Maine, are investigating Monday’s fiery collision between a trash compactor truck and Amtrak’s Downeaster train. According to the Portland Press Herald, Amtrak officials have recovered electronic data from the Downeaster’s locomotive. Information pulled from the train’s black-box, similar to [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Black-box data, cell phone records help investigators probing Amtrak’s Maine crash

Dump truck crashes with Amtrak in Maine, leaving one dead

A commercial truck driver was killed when his tractor trailer crashed into Amtrak’s Downeaster train Tuesday morning at an intersection in the town of North Berwick, Maine. According to an Amtrak statement, no other serious injuries have been reported among the 109 passengers aboard the train, which provides routine connections between Portland, Maine, and Boston. [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Dump truck crashes with Amtrak in Maine, leaving one dead

Amtrak sues trucking company over deadly Nevada crash

Amtrak has filed a lawsuit against the Nevada trucking company whose driver crashed through a railroad crossing gate and into the side of the California-bound Zephyr train last week, killing 6 people and injuring 20 others. Amtrak filed the lawsuit against John Davis Trucking Co. of Battle Mountain, Nevada, seeking at least $10 million in [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Amtrak sues trucking company over deadly Nevada crash

25 injured in South Florida passenger bus – fuel tanker collision

A gasoline tanker truck slammed into the back of a Broward County, Florida, transit bus Tuesday morning, injuring 25 people. According to initial reports, 22 people have been taken to local hospitals for treatment while three others were treated on the scene. One of the bus passengers has been classified as a trauma alert patient [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › 25 injured in South Florida passenger bus – fuel tanker collision

Police investigate bus crash that killed former NBA player

Raleigh, NC — Former Atlanta Hawks player Lorenzo Charles was killed Tuesday afternoon when the commercial bus he was driving on Interstate 40 in Raleigh, North Carolina, suddenly veered off the road and crashed. Charles, 47, was widely regarded as a hero in this basketball-crazy state for a last-second dunk that delivered a stunning victory [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Police investigate bus crash that killed former NBA player

Amtrak crash investigation turns up trucking company’s flawed safety record

Authorities investigating an Amtrak train crash that killed at least six people Friday morning outside Reno, Nev. are honing in on the commercial truck driver whose gravel-laden tractor-trailer ran through the train’s flashing crossing gate and slammed into the side of the Amtrak Zephyr. According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records, the John Davis [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Amtrak crash investigation turns up trucking company’s flawed safety record

Houston Metro investigating cause of fatal bus crash

A Houston Metro bus driver died Thursday morning after suddenly losing control of a city bus he was driving on Texas 288 in South Houston. Authorities said David Sayers, a 40-year-old father of two girls, died at the scene of the crash. Sayer’s death was the municipal bus agency’s first driver fatality in at least [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Houston Metro investigating cause of fatal bus crash

Minnesota truck driver endangered himself to avoid crash

A Minnesota truck driver hauling a load of hot asphalt elected to send his vehicle tumbling into a ditch Wednesday afternoon when he witnessed a traffic accident occur just ahead of him. Sources familiar with the accident told Willmar, Minnesota’s West Central Tribune that the trucker’s evasive action almost certainly saved the lives of the [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Minnesota truck driver endangered himself to avoid crash

Traveling by bus or limo? Choose a safe company with these tools

Grisly bus crashes with multiple injuries and fatalities, commercial drivers with poor driving records and criminal histories, crackdowns that have sidelined hundreds of buses and removed dozens of bus drivers from service: all of these recent events can make the thought of bus travel unsettling to prospective passengers. The good news is there are some [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Traveling by bus or limo? Choose a safe company with these tools

Police say shifting load caused Opelika, Alabama truck crash

A crash involving two tractor trailers left wreckage and debris strewn across I-85 near Opelika, Alabama, Wednesday morning, creating a traffic nightmare for travelers and residents in the Auburn/Opelika area. According to WSFA in Montgomery, Ala., the crash occurred just before 8 a.m. and still had traffic heavily backed up at evening rush hour. The [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Police say shifting load caused Opelika, Alabama truck crash

NZ truck accident survivor hopes to earn toughest-trucker title

New Zealand resident and 43-year-old father of four Colin Tandy was behind the wheel of a logging truck driving a mountainous route in Marlborough, New Zealand. Just after 6:30 a.m. Mr. Tandy rounded a corner and was instantly blinded by the rising sun. The next thing he remembers was his careening off the side of [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › NZ truck accident survivor hopes to earn toughest-trucker title

Truck loaded with watermelons crashes on Arizona desert highway

A tractor trailer laden with watermelons overturned on Highway 68 near Bullhead City, Arizona, Tuesday, spilling its cargo across a long stretch of the road and injuring the driver. According to the Mohave Daily News, driver Jose Alcides Rios of Houston, Texas, was taken to Western Arizona Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Truck loaded with watermelons crashes on Arizona desert highway

Deadly Virginia bus crash prompts major change in federal enforcement

Another deadly discount bus crash that killed four people and injured 50 others in Virginia Tuesday morning evoked strong words from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who vowed to change the way motor coach companies are able to appeal the federal government’s decision to shut them down. The bus that sparked this latest crackdown was [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Deadly Virginia bus crash prompts major change in federal enforcement

Edmonton, Alberta police crack down on unsafe trucks and drivers

Police in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada launched their annual spring crackdown on unsafe commercial trucks and drivers last week, setting up multiple safety check stops that resulted in more than a third of commercial vehicles being removed from the road.According to Global Edmonton, just 33 percent of the commercial trucks inspected during the three-day sting passed [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Edmonton, Alberta police crack down on unsafe trucks and drivers

Traveling by bus or limo? Choose a safe company with these tools

Grisly bus crashes with multiple injuries and fatalities, commercial drivers with poor driving records and criminal histories, and crackdowns that have sidelined hundreds of buses and removed dozens of bus drivers from service: all of these recent events can make the thought of bus travel unsettling to prospective passengers, but there are tools and specific [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Traveling by bus or limo? Choose a safe company with these tools

Trucker blamed for fiery Chicago train crash had 50-plus traffic citations

The driver of a semi truck who allegedly caused a collision with a Chicago commuter train Friday had more than 50 traffic citations on his driving record, including a drunken-driving arrest, but still retained his commercial driver’s license, the Chicago Tribune reported. Kazimierz Karasek, 59, the self-employed owner / operator of a semi truck, was [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Trucker blamed for fiery Chicago train crash had 50-plus traffic citations

Dozens of commercial drivers arrested, hundreds ticketed in NY sting operations

Apparently commercial drivers who obtain a license under a different name after their legitimate one was suspended aren’t a rare breed, at least in New York state. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this week that the latest and most sweeping crackdown on commercial drivers – a sting prompted by the horrific Bronx bus crash in March [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Dozens of commercial drivers arrested, hundreds ticketed in NY sting operations

NYC police arrest tour bus driver for pedestrian’s death

A Philadelphia man is dead after being struck by a tour bus in a New York City crosswalk, and the driver of the bus has been charged with driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter. The tour bus was carrying about 40 tourists on a sightseeing excursion back to their hotels in Newark, New Jersey, when [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › NYC police arrest tour bus driver for pedestrian’s death

Savannah controversy: who would pay for hazmat trucking disaster?

The potential for a “catastrophic event” and the costs associated with it are at the center of a debate in Savannah, Georgia after a liquid natural gas (LNG) processor nearby petitioned federal regulators to allow overland shipping of volatile gas. Southern LNG, which operates a massive LNG import terminal 5 miles downstream from Savannah, currently [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Savannah controversy: who would pay for hazmat trucking disaster?

Commercial truck driver calls it quits after latest crash

“I’m not going to drive anymore,” now-retired truck driver J.E. Tucker told North Dakota’s Inforum news site, after losing control of a Freightliner dump truck in Fargo Monday, causing him to strike another vehicle and crash through nine units of a storage building. Although Mr. Tucker, a 57-year-old resident of Barnesville, Minnesota, told Inforum he [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Commercial truck driver calls it quits after latest crash

Southern tornadoes hamper operations for some trucking businesses

MONTGOMERY, AL — This week’s deadly storms in the Deep South left entire communities in ruins, mostly in the state of Alabama, where about 165 tornados killed more than 200 people and injured thousands. One powerful tornado that ripped across the land from eastern Mississippi to Georgia grew to a mile wide in some areas [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Southern tornadoes hamper operations for some trucking businesses

Atlanta-area school bus crash ignites debate about seat belts and driver safety

Two school buses collided in Gwinnett County, Georgia, Monday morning, injuring several students who were on their way to take the Georgia State Criterion-Referenced Competency Test and sparking a local debate on the need for safety belts on school buses and better driver safety. Authorities said that the crash occurred about 8:45 a.m. at an [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Atlanta-area school bus crash ignites debate about seat belts and driver safety

Study identifies riskiest driving behaviors for commercial truckers

In-cab video surveillance of 34,466 commercial drivers has helped researchers at SmartDrive Systems Inc. determine the most common driver distractions linked to risky driving maneuvers. The San Diego-based company, which specializes in fleet management and driver safety solutions, evaluated more than 13.8 million video events recorded last year in a study that sought to quantify [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Study identifies riskiest driving behaviors for commercial truckers

Study links commercial truckers past convictions to future-crash probability

A new study conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has found a strong correlation between a commercial truck driver’s past traffic violations and the likelihood that the same driver will be involved in a future crash. The study’s authors analyzed data on nearly 600,000 U.S. truck drivers collected between 2007 and 2009 and [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Study links commercial truckers past convictions to future-crash probability

NY bus crashes expose flaws in commercial bus safety enforcement

Just after the horrific March 12 bus crash in the Bronx that killed 15 people and injured 17 others, federal and state regulators coordinated a sweeping crackdown of commercial motor coach companies in New York State, resulting in about 20 percent of buses and drivers being pulled out of service and reinforcing the adage that [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › NY bus crashes expose flaws in commercial bus safety enforcement

Tractor trailer and school bus collide, killing one student and injuring several others

JACKSON, Miss.— A tractor trailer collided with a school bus on a rural Mississippi highway Friday morning, killing one child and injuring at least 10 others. Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Jon Kalahar said the collision occurred around 7:20 a.m., just after the bus had stopped at a stop sign on Mississippi Highway 450 [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Tractor trailer and school bus collide, killing one student and injuring several others

Three bus crashes prompt NTSB to investigate commercial bus industry

The tragic bus crash that killed 15 people and injured 18 others on I-95 in the Bronx last month received such widespread media coverage that it largely eclipsed news of two other commercial bus crashes that occurred last month in the same region. One crash on the New Jersey Turnpike killed two people just two [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Three bus crashes prompt NTSB to investigate commercial bus industry

Two Bronx bus crash survivors sue, driver said to be speeding excessively

The driver of the World Wide Tours bus that crashed on I-95 in the Bronx March 12 was driving nearly 80 mph on the 55-mph interstate, transportation authorities said. The violent crash occurred when Ophadell Williams, the bus driver, lost control of the vehicle and toppled it, sliding on its side into a road sign. [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Two Bronx bus crash survivors sue, driver said to be speeding excessively

Unsafe motorist sends gas tanker careening off New York highway

New York State Police say that an aggressive driver was the reason a gasoline tanker truck ran off the highway onto an embankment in Colonie, New York, Wednesday morning, illustrating perfectly how some motorists are completely ignorant about sharing the road with other vehicles, especially commercial trucks that are several times larger and heavier than [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Unsafe motorist sends gas tanker careening off New York highway

New York safety crackdown takes scores of buses and drivers off the road

New York authorities continue to step up their enforcement of safety regulations on tour buses following last week’s fatal crash of a commercial bus that killed 15 people and left many others injured. The crash and the subsequent discovery that the driver, 40-year-old Ophadell Williams, used aliases on two separate occasions to avoid losing his [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › New York safety crackdown takes scores of buses and drivers off the road

Authorities suspend bus driver’s license after deadly bus crash

New York’s Department of Transportation has suspended the commercial driver’s license of Ophadell Williams, the driver of the bus that crashed in New York City’s Bronx borough, killing 15 people. The horrific crash has also prompted state regulators to take further actions in an effort to correct the safety standards of commercial passenger bus companies, [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Authorities suspend bus driver’s license after deadly bus crash

Truck driver saves the day after fiery Texas crash

“Thank God for seatbelts, airbags, and fire extinguishers,” Texas state trooper Roy Tower told ABC affiliate KLTV after responding to a fiery crash involving a passenger car and a commercial truck Tuesday morning. Those three items, plus the help of another commercial truck driver who witnessed the accident and stopped to help, saved the lives [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Truck driver saves the day after fiery Texas crash

Deadly Bronx bus crash fans regulatory debates

The horrific bus crash that left 15 passengers dead on a highway in the Bronx has re-ignited questions over whether federal safety regulations are sufficient and what additional measures, if any, can be taken to help prevent similar crashes from occurring in the future. The crash occurred about 5:30 am on Saturday as the bus [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Deadly Bronx bus crash fans regulatory debates

New Jersey school bus hauling kindergartners loses brakes and crashes

A school bus carrying two kindergarten classes and six chaperones rolled backward down a steep hill and crashed in Montclair, New Jersey, Tuesday after losing its brakes. The incident sent three of the adults and two children to the hospital with injuries to the neck, knee, and contusions to the head. The bus was taking [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › New Jersey school bus hauling kindergartners loses brakes and crashes

Survivors of horrific NY bus crash feared driver was falling asleep or distracted

A horrific bus crash that claimed the lives of 15 people and injured several others may have been caused by fatigue or distraction, some passengers and other witnesses have told authorities. The bus, owned and operated by World Wide Tours of Brooklyn, New York, was traveling east on I-95 with 31 passengers when it swerved [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Survivors of horrific NY bus crash feared driver was falling asleep or distracted

Truck safety enforcers say hours of service changes may backfire

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has voiced strong objections to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed Hours of Service (HOS) rule changes, saying that the new rules are overly complex and could actually backfire, reducing commercial motor vehicle safety. The comments, published on the FMCSA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Hours of Service, [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Truck safety enforcers say hours of service changes may backfire

Possible equipment failure sends diesel tanker plummeting off Oregon highway

A truck driver hauling two tanker trailers full of diesel fuel lost control of his truck on I-84 near Hood River, Oregon, Friday afternoon after experiencing an apparent equipment failure on one of the trailers. Oregon State Police said Eric D. Christiansen, 58, of Vancouver, Washington, jumped from the truck just before it and the [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Possible equipment failure sends diesel tanker plummeting off Oregon highway

Improper driver training, safety violations result in fatal NJ crash

The death of a 42-year-old mother on a New Jersey highway in 2008 and the sentencing of a commercial truck driver with no previous record demonstrate the enormous responsibility that falls on the shoulders of commercial truckers every time they pick up a load and the consequences of not measuring and properly securing cargo. On [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Improper driver training, safety violations result in fatal NJ crash

Nominations for 2010 Highway Heroes announced

Heavy trucks get a bad rap in the news all the time, so it’s nice when some of the heroes of the trucking industry get the attention they deserve for their courageous, lifesaving acts on the road. Thanks to the Goodyear North America Highway Hero Awards, commercial truck drivers are celebrated every year for their [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Nominations for 2010 Highway Heroes announced

Bill addresses loading dock detention time impact on productivity, safety

Independent truck operators have voiced concerns over the time they and their drivers are detained at loading docks waiting for cargo to be readied for pickup or unloading, and a new study has been ordered to that could change trucking industry rules from compensation to Hours-of-Service regulations. Oregon congressman Peter DeFazio introduced legislation last Thursday [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Bill addresses loading dock detention time impact on productivity, safety

FMCSA agrees to hold public hearings on proposed Hours-of-Service rules

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced it will hold a public listening session on its regulatory proposal that would revise hours-of-service (HOS) requirements for commercial truck drivers on February 17, 2011 in Arlington, Virginia. The agency will also webcast the session live with a forum on its website for comments and questions [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › FMCSA agrees to hold public hearings on proposed Hours-of-Service rules

Investigating single-vehicle truck crashes

A commercial truck driver died after losing control of his big rig on Interstate 5 near Ashland, Oregon. According to a report by The Oregonian, Robert Ormerod, 69, of Shingletown, California, was driving a 2006 Peterbilt tractor trailer for Youngman Trucking of Anderson, California, on the northbound lane when he lost control, skidded across the [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Investigating single-vehicle truck crashes

Hours of service changes: fans and foes weigh in

If the trucking industry has its way with the federal government’s proposed Hours-of-Service changes, the revisions will fail to take effect this summer. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced on December 23 that it is seeking to revise some Bush-era HOS rules, and opened the proposed changes to public comments before enacting final changes [...]

SOURCE: Tractor Trailer Accidents › Hours of service changes: fans and foes weigh in