Every day, regular passenger cars have to share the road with large commercial trucks that can weigh up to 10 times or more. Due to the difficulty in controlling such massive vehicles, trucking companies have a responsibility to recruit competent drivers. Sadly, some trucking businesses try to cut costs and time by skimping on employee screening.
What does negligent hiring look like in the trucking industry?
Long days on the road and often grueling circumstances are typical for truck drivers. It is not surprising that there is a high turnover rate among truck drivers in America. However, if there are no drivers, companies risk late deliveries and millions of dollars in lost revenue.
However, background checks are expensive while onboarding new drivers takes time. Some trucking companies then engage in negligent hiring practices to meet demand.
When hiring a driver, trucking companies must inspect the applicant for the following:
- Commercial driver’s license
- History of alcohol and substance abuse
- History of serious crashes
- Medical conditions
- Training and certifications
When a trucking company fails to take the proper measures to screen potential employees, it is guilty of negligent hiring. Thus, drivers who are prone to a DUI, have illnesses or lack sufficient truck driving experience may share the road with regular drivers.
To guarantee that its drivers are competent, companies should establish a solid system for onboarding new hires and provide regular training. Otherwise, negligent hiring and subpar training may result in accidents, injuries and death.
It is rare but not impossible for trucking companies that hire drivers with a DUI. If these companies do not do their due diligence, they put other motorists at risk.
There were 415,000 recorded accidents involving large trucks in 2020. About 1% of these collisions were fatal, while 24% resulted in injuries. Regular drivers should continue to exercise caution around large vehicles and stick to defensive driving practices for their own safety. It is possible that a collision with a large truck could result in life-threatening injuries.
