UPS, also known as United Parcel Service was started in Atlanta in 1979. Since then, it’s grown into a global powerhouse, serving multiple countries by way of Air, trucks and small vehicles. It’s intricate and high tech way of tracking parcels in order to ensure timely delivery may perhaps be one of the reasons why the company is so profitable. It went public in 1999, acquiring more than 40 businesses along the way to help streamline the delivery process.
At present, the logistics and delivery company has over 6,000 vehicles driven by over 9000 personnel in the U.S. The UPS truck is hard to miss: its brown façade with the logo UPS emblazoned at the front half of the vehicle brings both happiness and relief to anyone waiting for cargo to be delivered. That being said, given the fact that these trucks travel millions of miles every year, accidents are bound to happen.
Accidents involving UPS trucks aren’t your run-of-the-mill types. These can be catastrophic and even lead to loss of life due to the sheer size of these vehicles. For instance, your average UPS truck weighs an average of sixteen to twenty-four thousand pounds. This number, naturally, goes up depending on the parcels it’s carrying. In addition, the 18-wheelers it operates can go up to eighty thousand pounds, making them dangerous vehicles on our roads should they be driven carelessly.
UPS Trucks and Federal Safety Regulations
Transport bodies such as the FMCSA and the U.S. Department of Transportation are constantly working to make the roads safe for everyone. Because of this, they institute safety and load regulations for these types of commercial vehicles on our roads. For example, drivers are supposed to have taken certain courses and received special certification to allow them to operate UPS trucks. In addition, these vehicles are supposed to pass safety inspection tests on a regular basis, and drivers as well as the company are required to keep detailed logs of hours worked on a daily and weekly basis. Failure to meet all these standards is usually met by revocation of driving licenses, heavy fines and even jail time should one be found to be a multiple offender.
Here are some of the most common causes of UPS accidents on our roads:
- Driver inattention by way of talking on their cell phones, watching TV, eating, or rubbernecking.
- Driver fatigue due to working long hours so the company can meet its daily quota
- Poor driver training on important issues such as road safety
- Driving a UPS truck while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Aggressive driving by truck drivers who are rushing to beat a deadline
- Tailgating
- Tire blowout due to poorly maintained trucks
- Failure to yield especially on intersections
UPS trucks can easily crush a much smaller vehicle in the event of an accident. This can lead to people getting impinged in car wreckage, spinal injuries, burns, head trauma and a plethora of other serious injuries. These will require immediate medical intervention which will cost a fortune. Most people are unprepared when they encounter these accidents, so their finances take a serious hit. In addition, you may have to stay at home recuperating, which means you’re probably going to lose out on pay for the days you won’t be working. Let’s not forget the emotional pain, anguish and suffering which can cause issues such as PTSD which can last up to a decade.
Get Legal Help Today!
If you’ve been injured by a UPS truck, you deserve compensation to help you put your life back together. Please call Michael McCready on 877-561-3004 for free information on how we can help you do this. Remember, we don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Thanks for choosing us, and we look forward to hearing from you.