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Trucks carry a considerable amount of weight and are often required to travel long distances. Due to such heavy duty, trucks often require proper checking and maintenance to ensure the safety of the driver as well as those sharing the road with the truck.
Trucking companies must ensure that their trucks are regularly checked for any faulty parts. Because, without proper checking, these big vehicles may sometimes cause life-threatening accidents. Lack of maintenance is one of the common causes of accidents.
Truck accidents are traumatic and may even cause fatalities. Routine inspections ensure that such events are avoided. Here are a few ways in which a poorly maintained truck may cause devastating accidents.
Failure of Brakes
Since trucks are heavy vehicles, they require powerful braking to stop. Especially since trucks are required to travel long distances, brakes are a part that drivers will use regularly. At times, they are even forced to use emergency braking to avoid other vehicles.
This heavy usage of brakes results in the truck's braking system failing easily, leading to faulty brakes. Which is why the brakes of a truck need to be checked at regular intervals; failing to do so may cause a massive accident.
Tire Blowouts
Another critical part of the truck is its tires. Just like brakes, they play a prominent role in ensuring the truck is handled correctly. However, when carrying heavy loads regularly, there is a high risk of the tires wearing out or developing cracks. Sometimes, these go unnoticed by the driver, causing the tire to blow out and leading to the driver losing control of the vehicle.
Steering and Suspension Failures
The steering and suspension system of the truck is what keeps it stable. Ensure that the steering and suspension systems are not loose, as this can make it difficult for the driver to control the vehicle.
Loose steering or suspension can lead the truck to swerve or tip, and even lose control when the driver tries to change lanes or under adverse weather conditions. With regular inspections, these issues can be identified before they escalate into catastrophic events.
Lighting and Signal Failures
Many truckers travel for long hours during the night—truckers, in fact, like traveling at night to avoid the sun and heat of the day. But the problem with night drives is that the visibility is very low.
The truck's lighting system ensures the vehicle is visible to other motorists at night and in adverse weather conditions. A malfunctioning signal light may confuse other motorists, increasing the chance of accidents.
Engine Failures
These extended hours of running automatically put a lot of pressure on the engine. Without proper maintenance, there is a high risk of the truck breaking down while on the road. This can cause a sudden change in traffic movement, which may lead to rear-end accidents.
How are Truck Companies Responsible?
Truck companies are subject to a mandatory law requiring them to maintain their vehicles. This is mainly to ensure the safety of all users on the road. The FMCSA establishes maintenance standards that all trucking companies must follow. Additionally, they conduct inspections and audits to ensure that companies adhere to the required maintenance standards.
Apart from the loss to the truck driver and the people involved in the accident, inadequate maintenance can also result in hefty fines for the trucking company.
Conclusion
Like they say, "Prevention is better than cure," it is always better to ensure that the trucks are properly maintained rather than wait for some unfortunate events to occur. Every trucking company should perform preventive maintenance checks. This can significantly reduce the number of accidents caused by poor truck maintenance.
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