Truck drivers have hard jobs. They have to be constantly alert, they need to be quick thinkers, and they can't take a break anytime, they have to wait until they get to a truck stop. Long transport trucks don't make their jobs easier either. It's very easy to see why transport accidents are heard of often on the news. There are good reasons as to why transports are potentially dangerous. Some of the things that restrict safe operation of these mighty machines can be prevented.
The drivers of transport trucks are not to blame for many accidents. A truck driver may make a decision that can lead to an accident, such as to drink too much alcohol or to drive while tired, but other than that, the drivers of these vehicles are not to blame for safety violations. Yes, the vehicle is under the control of the truck driver but think of the other hazards that come in to play. First off, during the winter, large snow banks reduce visibility at intersections. Sometimes old man winter can do more than just pile snow. Freezing rain and ice pellets can sometimes mean that the truck is literally rolling across a sheet of ice. Think of the hazards that you face when you are driving in stormy conditions, and multiply them by about five. That's how a truck driver feels.
If the driver is usually not to blame, then what is? Could it possibly be the vehicle itself? In my time, I have seen quite a few transport trucks run right through red lights. It really isn't the driver's fault. Transport trucks have air brakes and manual transmissions. A very bad combination. At a traffic light, transport truck drivers are faced with challenges. The second that he/she sees the yellow light, he/she must think quickly. Should they speed up and try to go through the intersection before it's too late, or should they try to stop and risk accidentally stopping in the intersection itself. It's a tough choice. Gearing down takes a long time with a manual transmission, and the air brakes can often take a long time to stop the heavy vehicle. As a result, many truck drivers just floor it and hope to make it through the intersection before that red light, which can easily explain what I saw many times at the intersection.
Combined with these two factors is a third and possibly more deadly factor. The drivers paycheck. Most truck drivers aren't payed for the hours that they work, but instead, for the kilometers that they drive. A driver who is payed by the hour has piece of mind knowing that he can be safe and obey speed limits, and still receive a reasonable paycheck. Drivers who are payed by the kilometer however, have it different. They know that the faster they drive, the better they are payed. If a driver is payed 20 cents per kilometer, and he drives 100 kilometers an hour, he's making $20 per hour. Another driver making the same amount driving at a slower pace of 80 km/h would only be making 16 dollars an hour. That's the major factor. Truck drivers know that the faster they drive, the more money they make. Sometimes this knowledge alone encourages truck drivers to speed, which can easily explain the accidents caused by transport trucks.
