Tractor trailers, semis, 18 wheelers, big trucks. They are referred to by different names, but they account for a significant portion of accidents, injuries and damage on the roadways. It is estimated that there are over 500,000 accidents involving tractor trailers on the roads in the United States per year. The average tractor trailer weighs over 20,000 pounds, and that does not account for the load it may be carrying which can bring its weight to over 75,000 pounds.
Because of the serious risk of injuries presented by these tractor trailers, the state and Federal governments have enacted a body of laws that specifically govern the trucking industry. In Jacksonville, Florida, where I work, two of the most well-traveled interstate highways intersect. I-95 and I-10 intersect in downtown Jacksonville, Florida subjecting the drivers of North Florida to a greater exposure to tractor trailers than many places in the country.
This blog will focus on issues related to tractor trailer companies, drivers and accidents. In particular, it will focus on the Federal body of laws, or regulations, that govern the trucking companies and drivers that require them to take certain steps and precautions to ensure that safe and competent drivers are operating the tractor trailers. Those regulations, called the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations ("FMCSA's") apply to all trucking companies and drivers who drive their tractor trailers across state lines, which includes the majority of trucking companies (which is particularly true in Jacksonville, Florida which is so close to the Georgia state line.). These regulations, which have the effect of laws, were developed by a commission created by an act of Congress whose purpose was to protect drivers from unsafe tractor trailer drivers and prevent trucking accidents.