Overloaded Truck Accidents

Serving all of Pennsylvania

Two major shipping routes cross in Pennsylvania: I-80 and I-81. Over 80% of all freight in Pennsylvania ships by tractor trailer alone. I-80 is the most important transcontinental east-west shipping route, passing by State College, Lock Haven, Williamsport, Bloomsburg, and Stroudsburg. I-81 connects the major commercial border crossings in New York to markets all down the East Coast, passing nearby Frackville, Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton. When a truck is overloaded, every component, from the engine to the brakes to the suspension to the tires, is stressed and susceptible to catastrophic failure. An overloaded tractor trailer does not maneuver the way it is designed to, leading to accidents when turning, stopping, or starting.

Truck Weight Regulations

In general, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations limit the cargo weight for commercial vehicles to 20,000 pounds per axle, or 34,000 pounds per pair of tandem axles, and 80,000 pounds total. According to regulations, the load is supposed to be evenly distributed throughout the length of the trailer, and a driver is responsible for ensuring this, although due to the unrealistic schedules imposed by shipping companies, they may perform only a cursory inspection or allow improper loading procedures to keep on time. The crisis in poorly-secured cargo has caused the FMCSA to launch a Cargo Securement Safety Initiative.

In addition, states are allowed to restrict the movement of large trucks on roads other than national highways and to deny the movement of trucks over designated bridges if they submit the rationale to the federal government.

Enforcing Weights

The interstate is dotted with weigh stations, set up at state lines and at random intervals where commercial vehicles are weighed and inspected. These weigh stations are in place to protect against overloaded tractor trailer and illegal or falsely reported cargo. They are also supposed to check the driver's log to make sure of compliance with Hours of Service laws that keep fatigued drivers off the road.

However, weigh stations are often ineffective because:

Some states issue a ticket rather than stopping an overweight tractor trailer
States issue overweight truck permits with little oversight
Drivers often forge log books
Drivers know when weigh stations are closed or unmanned

Because of lax enforcement, overloaded trucks drive on the road despite FMCSA regulations. How lax is enforcement in Pennsylvania? According to 2003 statistics, the state issued less overweight citations than any neighboring state, except Rhode Island. It issued less than 1/10 the number of citations issued in Ohio, the state to which most trucks travel after leaving Pennsylvania on I-80.

Dangers of Overloaded Tractor Trailers

Overloaded tractor trailers are much more likely to be involved in accidents, because:

Too much weight stresses tires, causing Tire Blowout Accidents
Overloaded trucks can slow dramatically on hills causing danger to following vehicles at blind corners
Overloaded tractor trailers can go out of control going downhill
Increased weight means longer stopping distances
Greater weight means more stress on brakes and increased likelihood of failure
Overloaded tractor trailers have a higher center of gravity, making them more likely to tip when steering or during wind gusts
Overloaded tractor trailers also have a more rearward center of gravity, impairing steering
Overweight tractor trailers can lead to the unexpected collapse of bridges, such as the I-35 bridge in Minnesota

Despite the dangers, an explicit or implicit conspiracy exists between drivers, loaders, trucking companies, and the government to keep overloaded tractor trailers on the road and it will continue to exist until all those responsible are made to pay for their actions.

>If you or a loved one has suffered during an accident with a tractor trailer, don't be just a victim to this conspiracy. The tractor trailer accident lawyer team at Michael J. O'Connor & Associates is ready to begin fighting for you today. Email or call our toll free number at 1.800.518.4LAW for a free initial consultation and case review.

Return to Tractor Trailer Accidents

Truck Underride Accidents

Accidents Caused by Unrealistic Schedules

Driver Fatigue Accidents

Frequently Asked Tractor Trailer Accident Questions

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