Large commercial trucks deliver most of the essential goods that we use in West Virginia. To get more goods delivered in less time, transportation companies sometimes try to load trucks up with as much cargo as they can fit. However, overloading trucks is a dangerous practice for many reasons.
Overweight trucks are harder to control
Balance is incredibly important when commercial trucks are hauling long trailers up and down mountain passes. When a truck goes over its weight limit, the truck driver has a much harder time making safe turns. Capsizing is also a risk when a truck is overweight. Trailers tipping over on the highway have caused many semi-truck and 18-wheeler accident injuries.
Overloading is hard on brakes
The heavier a truck is, the harder it will be for the truck driver to brake when they need to. More weight in the trailer will increase a truck’s stopping distance, which is already longer than the stopping distance of regular passenger cars. Another issue is that an overloaded truck will be putting more wear and tear on truck brakes, so the brakes may be more likely to malfunction completely.
Truck tires will wear out faster
Tires wear out faster when they have to carry too much weight, so truck wheels will need to be replaced much sooner for overweight trucks. The reason for this is that when trucks are overloaded, the wheels become overheated. All of this extra damage can increase the chances of a blowout occurring in the middle of a drive.
Liability for overweight truck accidents
Some truck drivers load their own cargo while others work with loading companies. If you were involved in an accident with an overweight commercial truck, there may be several different parties that bear responsibility for your injuries.
