Truck Driver Shortage and how it Increases the Risk of Collision?

The growth of the trucking industry is crucial for the US economy. According to the American Trucking Associations, 71 percent of all cargo and freight tonnage is moved in and out of the US on trucks. And to move approximately 10.5 billion tons of cargo each year, the trucking industry needs more than 3.6 million Class 8 heavy-duty trucks and nearly 3.5 million skilled truck drivers.

Simply stated, the US economy would take a dip and practically come to a standstill without the trucks and truck drivers.

Let’s take a look at the current scenario. At present, the US trucking industry is short 60,000 drivers. This gap between the demand and supply of truck drivers is expected to increase in the years to come, and by 2026 the United States is likely to become short 175,000 truckers.

The increasing truck driver shortage has put the companies operating in the truck industry under serious pressure. Not only do they have to meet the tight deadlines, but they also must find skilled drivers who are capable of moving freight. The shortage of truck drivers has snowballed as the prevailing situation has put the existing truck drivers under more stress, increasing the risk of collisions.

Here’s how:

Long Work Hours

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), truck drivers are allowed a period of 14 consecutive hours in which they drive up to 11 hours after being off duty for ten or more consecutive hours. But due to the shortage of drivers, the existing truck drivers are expected to work longer hours. To deliver cargo before the deadline, truckers are compromising on their rest and sleep. As they sit behind the vehicle without taking any rest breaks in between, they eventually get exhausted and fatigued. Thus they are more likely to lose their vehicle’s control, increasing the likelihood of accidents.

Although drivers are expected to comply with the FMCSA, the trucking companies are willing to bend the rules as they urge the drivers to work longer.

Aging Drivers

The average age of truck drivers currently is about 49, but the driver shortage is leading some trucking companies to hire older drivers, including retirees in their seventies and eighties. Aging may affect a driver’s cognitive functioning, vision, hearing, and reaction time. Expecting aging drivers to work for countless hours is dangerous not just for them but for others sharing the road with them.

Reckless Driving

Driving heavy-duty trucks requires control over speed, momentum, and the vehicle. A speeding semi-truck weighing 80,000 pounds takes about 525 feet before it can stop after the driver perceives danger and recognizes that they need to hit the brakes. However, to meet deadlines and deliver the freight on time, drivers end up engaging in reckless driving practices and accidents, therefore, are inevitable.

Overloaded Cargo Trucks

Another way trucking companies are compensating for the shortage of drivers, which has put the current truckers under stress, is that drivers are now required to quickly haul larger cargos from destination A to B. In other words, trucking companies overload trucks to deliver shipments on time. They fail to realize that overloaded trucks are harder to maneuver, especially for truckers who lack experience in driving semi-trailers and 18 wheelers.

In addition to this, overloaded trucks are more likely to experience equipment failures, such as brake failure and tire blowouts. All these factors combined put the driver at risk of accidents.

Alarming Truck Accident Statistics

All the factors discussed above have led to the rise in trucking accidents in and across the US. Here are some alarming truck accident statistics worth knowing. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

  • In 2018 approximately 4,678 people lost their precious lives in accidents with large trucks. This figure is up by 1% from the figure recorded in 2017, which was 4,369 fatalities
  • Deaths involving semi-trailers increased for the 4th consecutive year
  • Pedestrians that died in truck accidents rose by 13%
  • Among the deaths in truck accidents in 2018, 16% were truck occupants, 67 percent were car occupants, and 15% pedestrians

After a crash with a large truck, the chances of survival are minimal. If you happen to survive, you’re likely to be severely injured because of the size and force of the heavy truck hitting a passenger car. Common truck accident injuries include head injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, fractures, and traumatic brain injuries. These injuries can sometimes even cause lasting as well as permanent body damage.

Different make big rigs semi trucks tractors with loaded semi trailers standing in the row on truck stop parking lot

File a Personal Injury Claim in Case of a Truck Accident in South or North Carolina

If you have been severely injured or lost a loved one wrongfully in a truck accident in South or North Carolina due to the truck driver’s negligence, then by law you have the right to file a personal injury claim and pursue compensation for injuries and losses incurred. Financial compensation is essential for coping with the costly medical treatment and rehabilitation after being injured in a truck accident.

For help fighting for fair and full compensation, contact our experienced personal injury attorney today. At the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor P.C., we will review your case and suggest legal options for your situation, providing you with quality representation.

Our lawyers will carry out an in-depth investigation to collect all crucial pieces of evidence from the accident scene, such as truck driver logbooks, black box, GPS, and other details. This will help us answer all the crucial questions about how the accident occurred, who caused it, and why. Answers to these questions will help us establish a strong liability case against the truck driver, truck manufacturer, or trucking company – whoever is responsible. We’ll work on your case relentlessly and negotiate with the insurance company for a fair settlement.

And, if you disagree with the settlement offered by the insurer, we can take the case to court for trial. At the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor P.C., we fight for our clients to be fully compensated.

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Notice of Data Security Event
Updated March 28, 2025

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is providing notice of an event that may affect certain individuals’ information. Although we have no indication of identity theft or fraud in relation to this event, we are providing information about the event, our response, and additional measures individuals can take to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On October 28, 2024, The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor identified suspicious activity related to our email system. We quickly took steps to investigate and determined that an unknown actor may have accessed certain emails within our email system between August 7 and November 7, 2024. We then conducted a comprehensive review of the potentially affected emails and attachments to determine what information was contained therein and to whom the information related, which was completed on February 25, 2025. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify the addresses of certain affected individuals, so we are providing this notice to ensure potentially affected individuals receive information about the event.

What Information Was Involved? The information affected may include individuals’ Social Security number, driver’s license and state ID information, financial account number, and health information.

What We Are Doing. We are notifying individuals about this matter and providing guidance about free resources that are available to assist with monitoring relevant accounts, credit reports, and how to place a fraud alert or security freeze on one’s credit file. Further, as with our typical security practices, we will continue to evaluate our policies, procedures, staff training, and technical security measures to reduce the likelihood of an event like this reoccurring.

What Individuals Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. We also recommend you review the below “Steps Individuals Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information”.

For More Information. If individuals have questions about this matter, we have a dedicated assistance line with agents ready to answer their questions. Please contact our toll-free dedicated assistance line at 1-800-939-4170, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m., excluding holidays. You may also write to us at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, Attn: Compliance, P.O. Box 2688, Hickory, NC 28603.

Sincerely,

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor

STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/

https://www.transunion.com/credit-help
1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Additional Information

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state attorney general. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state attorney general. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 1-202-442-9828; and oag.dc.gov.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-576-6300 or 1-888-743-0023; and https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/.

For New Mexico residents, consumers have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in their credit file has been used against them, the right to know what is in their credit file, the right to ask for their credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to consumers’ files is limited; consumers must give consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; consumers may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance based on information in their credit report; and consumers may seek damages from violators. Consumers may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage consumers to review their rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580.

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. Under Rhode Island law, individuals have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this event.
STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT A MINOR DEPENDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATION

Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online:
Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/request-child-credit-report/
https://www.experian.com/help/minor-request.html
https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/child-identity-theft

1-800-685-1111 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013 P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016

To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information:
● A copy of their driver’s license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.;
● Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.;
● A copy of the minor’s birth certificate;
● A copy of the minor’s Social Security card;
● The minor’s full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.;
● The minor’s date of birth; and
● The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.

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