A popular topic that the trucking industry has raised in the last decade is safer highways for shipping cargo domestically. The U.S. Interstate Highway System is a network of roads connecting major cities nationwide. In 2021, trucks used this 46,876-mile-long expressway to move an average of 53.6 million tons of cargo daily. The value of the freight was more significant than $54 billion. Because the volume of carriers that pass through is so high, so is the number of accidents caused by trucks. With domestic transportation only getting more prominent in the U.S., the necessity for secure interstates is progressively growing in importance.
Why Is Highway Safety Crucial For Trucking?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) reports that since 2010, 46,682 people died from truck crashes. Those accidents injured over one million people. Some of the common causes of accidents include distracted driving, speeding, and transporting cargo under fatigue. Since trucking sometimes requires long hours on the highway, exhaustion is a typical concern for truckers. Likewise, moving freight is usually done under specific deadlines, meaning that a sense of urgency causes drivers to speed. Collisions can also happen for non-human reasons, like system failure and poor weather conditions. Trucks are larger and heavier than the average automobile, meaning that accidents may also cause devastating damages to the parties involved.
Along with fatalities, not creating safer highways directly impacts domestic cargo movement. An accident can disrupt a supply chain in various ways. For example, a business could require the movement of freight thousands of miles from Florida to California. During the journey, the truck crashes, causing the cargo to be damaged. The collision lost the shipment and the time and money the company spent preparing the goods. Customers expecting the cargo also lose the products and their costs. A crash also looks damaging to the trucker, making potential clients view the trucking company as unreliable. Better safety measures could have prevented the accident if it was the driver’s fault.
How Can The Trucking Industry Create Safer Highways For Shipping?
Although accidents can be unpredictable, there are steps that the industry can take to prevent the likelihood of it occurring. Preventive measures are increasingly crucial with the long distances that truckers have to travel on the highway. Steven Williams, co-founder of the Trucking Alliance, states, “We must make sure our drivers are properly trained, well-rested and drug and alcohol-free.” Another way is to enforce the importance of having a satisfactory DOT (Department of Transportation) safety rating. This rating indicates if the trucking company complies with the FMCSA safety standards. The audit includes various records, like financial responsibility, driver qualification, accident history, drug tests, etc.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) notes that 94% of trucking companies do not have a DOT Safety rating. Enhanced safety standards can also create safety in the trucking industry in the near future. Also, emerging technologies like radar and AI will help prevent accidents on U.S. highways and in international cargo movement. While it may be some time before notable changes appear in domestic shipping, protecting your goods is still vital. To find out about our numerous solutions for cargo movement, reach out to A1 Freight Solutions at 786-375-9420 or info@a1fsinc.com. We understand the importance of a safe shipment and take preventative steps to meet your goals.