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4 most common causes of logging truck wrecks

On Behalf of | Apr 29, 2020 | Trucking Accidents

Alabama is a logging and timber state. According to the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), we have the second largest timberland base in the entire United States, and logging is our state’s number one industry. We are also “in the top ten producers of pulp, paper, lumber, and wood panel production.”

Although timber is extremely important to our state’s overall economy, the trucks that come along with the industry also present a tremendous danger, especially on rural roads. Logging trucks increase the risk of auto wrecks in the area.

What are the chief causes of logging truck accidents?

Although there are many causes for logging truck wrecks, these are four of the most common:

  1. Dangerous roads: The roads throughout Morengo County are tight, rural roads with a lot of curves and limited visibility. The challenge of navigating a large truck, loaded with lumber, along those roads poses a risk to other vehicles.
  2. Overloaded trucks: There are strict rules regulating lumber hauling. In many cases, the drivers and timber companies want to maximize their return, so they may overload their trucks, increasing their chances of getting in an accident.
  3. Slippery roads: After one of our Alabama rains, those winding, country roads become dangerously slippery. If these roads are slippery for our cars and domestic trucks, they are even more dangerous for multi-ton big rigs weighed down with timber.
  4. Reckless driving: In many cases, logging truck drivers may handle their vehicles in a way that is unsafe for the roads and conditions involved. It is ill-advised to drive carelessly under any circumstance, but recklessly handling a multi-ton logging truck on tight, curvy rural roads is especially dangerous. Also, although it is rare, sometimes truckers are impaired by drugs and alcohol behind the wheel as they’re making their hauls. This behavior increases the danger for everyone on the road.

A large number of logging trucks on the roads means there’s a greater likelihood an accident could occur. It is critical to be careful out there. When you are out on rural Alabama roads, make sure to take it easy and keep your eye out for logging trucks.

If you have been in an accident with a logging truck, consider taking immediate action to secure evidence and to bring a winning truck accident claim that could provide you with compensation for your injuries and losses.