Articles Posted in Trucking Technology

Effective 12/19/08, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rescinded a 1997 policy in order to permit motor carriers to use electronic systems in lieu of paper logs. The change of policy recognizes the reality that most motor carriers now use some sort of technology to trace, route and manage their business. This is good in…

The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that the DOT explore requiring fatigue monitoring systems. Those could include included lane departure warning systems, driver monitoring systems such as PERCLOS (which measures the rate of eyelid closure), and electronic onboard recorders. In addition, the NTSB spokesman said that “Both active braking and ESC technologies represent opportunities…

Two cement mixer trucks rolled over yesterday morning in Mississippi. This highlights something I have learned as a Georgia trucking accident attorney. In loaded cement mixer trucks the center of gravity is high and constantly shifting. Road tests described in standard truck driver training materials in the ready-mix concrete industry graphically describe the handling characteristics.…

While I make my living and support my family as a trial lawyer representing people badly in hurt in truck and bus crashes — and the surviivors of those who do not survive — the ultimate objective is to improve safety and reduce the incidence of future injuries and deaths. While much of safety management…

Truck driving is a hard, dangerous job that many people find less desirable than jobs such as  construction work  that enable  them to be home with their families every night.  Two  years ago, when economic conditions were better, I wrote about  how the truck driver shortage led trucking companies to offer better benefits and recruit…

As a lawyer handling catastrophic trucking accidents, I have repeatedly seen the deadly effects of driver fatigue as truckers are pushed beyond their physical limits by trucking companies and shippers. Now the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday recommended that trucking companies and the government place increased emphasis on making sure truck drivers follow regulations…

As a Georgia trucking safety trial lawyer based in Atlanta, I often see the tragic effects of fatigue among truck drivers who are pushed by trucking companies and shippers to perform beyond the normal limits of human capability. On the other side of the Atlantic, SafeDrive Europe has released its Driver Fatigue Monitor, which is…

As a trucking accident trial lawyer in Georgia, frequently lecturing at trucking litigation seminars around the country, I try to keep up with the latest in trucking safety technology. One recent development is DriveCam, about which my friend Morgan Adams in Tennessee recently wrote on his blog. DriveCam utilizes a camera mounted in a truck…

In my trucking litigation law practice based in Atlanta, I see plenty of instances where drug use — including prescription medications — appears to be a contributing factor in trucking accidents. Now the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report on truckers’ drug tests that helps explain how and why. Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio…

As a trial lawyer representing injury victims in trucking accident cases in Georgia, I’m always on the lookout for medications affecting driver alertness.  Another suspect medication has been added to the list. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a warning Thursday on the anti-smoking drug Chantix, advising medical examiners “to not qualify anyone currently…