Every year, there are roughly 500,000 accidents involving 18-wheel trucks in the United States. When most people think about what causes these crashes, they imagine factors like speed, tired drivers, improper lane changes, and other things that could cause any vehicle to crash.
One thing they might not think about is the role of improper cargo loading, which is actually one of the most common causes. The driver could do everything right behind the wheel, but still find themselves in a crash if their vehicle's cargo was loaded incorrectly.
Let's take a look at a few of the most common ways that errors during the loading process can lead to truck crashes.
Improper Weight Distribution
Have you ever been on an airplane that was like half-full and they told everyone on board that they needed to stay in their assigned seats for weight and balance? There's a very good reason that they do that, and it applies to trucks as well. Both methods of transportation require a delicate weight balance, or it can lead to severe problems.
In the case of an 18-wheel truck hauling freight, let's imagine that the cargo is being delivered to a grocery store. Two employees are loading the truck, and one is significantly stronger than the other. The stronger worker loads pallets containing 25-pound bags of rice onto the right side of the truck, and the other loads pallets of marshmallows onto the left side.
The result is a massive weight imbalance that could easily lead to a crash. If this truck has to take a sharp right turn to enter a freeway, the right side is going to be several hundred pounds heavier, and the truck would almost certainly tip over in the middle of the turn.
Driving a truck that weighs between three and five tons is already a challenge, but poorly loaded trucks with the wrong weight distribution would make it almost impossible to drive for any length of time. The above example with marshmallows and rice is a rather extreme example, and a much smaller imbalance could still lead to the truck tipping over and causing an accident.
Excessive Weight (Overloading)
An overloaded truck can easily become a hazard, which is why it's important to understand and respect the Cargo Carrying Capacity, which is calculated by taking the maximum amount the truck can weigh and subtracting the weight of the empty truck.
For example, imagine a truck with a maximum total weight capacity (also known as a GWVR or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of 8,500 pounds. If the empty truck weighs 6,500 pounds, it can carry up to 2,000 pounds of cargo without exceeding the GWVR.
However, if this truck is loaded with 2,500 pounds of cargo, it can cause serious structural damage. Among the biggest problems it can cause is a failure of the truck's brakes, meaning the driver might not be able to stop it or reduce speed. This can lead to multi-car pileups with much smaller vehicles being rammed by an out-of-control 18-wheel truck.
Another important number that should be considered is a vehicle's Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR), which is the maximum amount of weight that the truck's axles can support without damaging the structural integrity of the trailer. If a truck's weight exceeds its GAWR rating, it can lead to problems like a broken axle.
If one of the axles breaks, the tires can fall off and cause an accident. It can also affect the brakes, leading to smaller vehicles being rammed by a massive 18-wheel truck.
Load Not Secured
An unsecured load can also be the cause of a significant accident. Items shifting around in transit, especially heavy ones, can cause accidents by creating a weight imbalance, like the type mentioned above. Some accidents, however, can be caused by a specific type of cargo.
Imagine a truck is carrying several cases of spaghetti sauce to a restaurant a few towns over, and the employee loading the truck figures that the driver is only making a few stops that are all within 50 miles, so he secures the spaghetti sauce with a rope instead of the ratchet strap he'd normally use.
If the rope doesn't hold, the spaghetti sauce can shift around during turns, which would throw off the weight balance of the vehicle. It can also tip over and spill, leaking spaghetti sauce all over the highway. If the door opens just enough, whole jars can fall out, leaving broken glass on the highway, too.
Incorrect Stacking Methods
Finally, accidents can also be caused by the improper stacking of cargo. This can include stacking boxes or pallets too high, putting heavier items on top of lighter ones, or stacking cargo in lines with different heights.
A standard 18-wheel truck can usually hold about 26 pallets worth of goods if they're stacked one-high, or 52 if they're stacked two-high. Let's say that a company has ordered 46 pallets, which means there are 6 empty spots. If they're not secured properly (i.e., the entire bottom row is filled and there are 6 spots on the top row that are unoccupied), those top pallets towards the end can spill over. Improper stacking can cause all of the accident types listed above.
The Role of Improper Cargo Loading in Truck Crashes
Improper cargo loading is one of the biggest causes of truck crashes in the United States, with roughly half a million crashes recorded every year. Common causes for these wrecks include boxes stacked too high, unequal weight distribution, unsecured cargo loads, and overloaded trucks.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a truck crash caused by improper cargo loading, you might want to consider speaking with a truck accident lawyer like the experienced personal injury attorneys at Frost Law Firm, PC. Your first thought might be to sue the driver, but you may have a claim against the logistics company, the warehouse contractors who packed the goods, the trucking company, or other parties.