People have grown accustomed to the abundant number of large trucks on Connecticut’s roadways. These several ton vehicle haul cargo from destination to destination to make sure U.S. consumers have the products they need.
But, sometimes, a truck’s trailer may be overloaded. The excess weight not only damages roads and vehicles, but also brings dangers to other drivers.
Driving difficulty and maintenance problems
One hears about truck drivers who are reckless, drowsy and substance abusers. Also, the negligence attributed to trucking companies for failing to provide proper training. And do not forget the maintenance firms that perform shoddy work or manufacturers that introduce defective products.
But do not overlook the problems caused by an overweight big-rig truck, improperly loaded by the freight company. Here are some of the dangers caused by an overloaded big-rig truck:
- Difficult to drive, difficult to maneuver: Front-end steering problems surface due to extra weight in the back. Braking problems also arise as drivers may misjudge the stopping distance between the truck and the vehicle in front of it.
- Maintenance issues: Extra weight is bad for the truck, causing extra work that wears down the vehicle. This usually leads to many costly repairs and out-of-service trucks. However, more importantly, an inefficiently operating truck may cause hazards to other drivers.
- Regulatory violations: Overloaded vehicles may lead to serious fines for trucking companies. But, more startlingly, an overloaded truck may lead to collisions and potential criminal charges such as assault and reckless endangerment.
It is not unheard for some trucking companies to intentionally overload a big-rig truck. The larger the load means the larger the delivery, potentially leading to more profit. But such a strategy proves unsafe and reckless.
A problem caused by negligent companies
Overloaded big-rig trucks may cause many road hazards that lead to crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries. Negligence is at the root of this problem, and those negligent companies must take responsibility.
