Large trucks

Fatality Facts: Large trucks

Q&A: Large trucks

State laws

Selected research bibliography

Highlights from the Institute's research since 1969

News releases

March 14, 2013 New crash tests: Underride guards on most big rigs leave passenger vehicle occupants at risk in certain crashes

March 1, 2011 Underride guards on big rigs often fail in crashes; Institute petitions government for new standard

March 10, 2005 New work rule for truckers isn't improving safety; survey shows truckers drive more, tired driving still prevalent

Status Report newsletter special issues

Vol. 42, No. 5, May 12, 2007: Special issue: one day of crashes — the stories of some of the 119 people killed in crashes on June 7, 2005

Vol. 33, No. 8, September 12, 1998: Special issue: truck safety: Pressure on FHWA to allow truckers more driving hours at a stretch • Pilot program would extend hours • Deadly crashes linked to fatigue • FHWA stalls on recorders • Satellite data could track hours, but FHWA backs away • Crash rates on toll roads • Three promising truck safety proposals from FHWA • Truck regulation could go to NHTSA • Dispatchers say customers aren't demanding tight delivery schedules

Vol. 32, No. 6, July 26, 1997: Special issue: truck driver fatigue: Truckers need more rest, less highway time • Flawed fatigue study doesn't justify longer road hours for truck drivers • History of hours-of-service rules • Hours-of-service debate divides trucking industry and safety groups • Program exempting medium trucks from logbook regulations could spur violations • Onboard computers should reduce hours-of-service infractions

Status Report newsletter articles

Vol. 48, No. 2, March 14, 2013: Rear underride guards work well, but most could do better • Front and side underride crashes are harder to address

Vol. 47, No. 6, August 14, 2012: Truck tractors, buses could get standard ESC under NHTSA proposal

Vol. 47, No. 1, January 24, 2012: Final hours-of-service rule still allows truck drivers to spend up to 11 hours a day at the wheel

Vol. 46, No. 4, April 26, 2011: Some truck drivers might get more rest under a proposed revision to hours of service regulations • Onboard recorders finally may be required for interstate carriers

Vol. 46, No. 2, March 1, 2011: Underride guards on big rigs often fail in crashes; Institute petitions government for new standard

Vol. 45, No. 8, August 21, 2010: Require speed limiters in big trucks for safety as well as fuel economy

Vol. 45, No. 6, June 22, 2010: Recorder rule for large trucks applies to just the worst offenders

Vol 45, No. 5, May 20, 2010: Large trucks will benefit from crash avoidance technology

Vol. 44, No. 8, September 17, 2009: Better truck brakes are on tap

Vol. 44, No. 1, February 14, 2009: Truck safety isn't being served by the federal agency in charge of regulating it • More are dying because of FMCSA's 2003 work-hour rule • Electronic recorders still aren't required equipment in large trucks • State legislators make decisions about red light camera programs and other highway safety matters • FMCSA needs a push • 3 large pickups prove wimpy for occupant protection in side crashes

Vol. 42, No. 10, October 13, 2007: For the second time, court tells FMCSA to get it right on truckers' hours

Vol. 42, No. 7, June 15, 2007: All trucks need recorders • Speed governors for big rigs would target deadly crashes

Vol. 41, No. 8, October 7, 2006: Truck driver fatigue isn't lessening under federal rule changes

Vol. 41, No. 7, September 7, 2006: Work rules for truck drivers draw criticism from the Institute in brief submitted to federal court

Vol. 40, No. 6, July 16, 2005: Truckers aren't any better protected under a controversial federal rule governing their work hours; regulators angle to keep the rule despite federal court's objection

Vol. 40, No. 2, January 31, 2005: ATA signals the end of years of opposition to onboard recorders

Vol. 39, No. 7, August 1, 2004: US Court of Appeals dismisses FMCSA rules on truck driving time as "arbitrary and capricious"

Vol. 39, No. 2, February 7, 2004: Truckers who don't buckle up are targets of new education but not enforcement

Vol. 38, No. 8, August 26, 2003: FMCSA rejects a pilot program for younger truck drivers

Vol. 38, No. 6, June 16, 2003: New work-hour rules for truckers aren't going to improve safety; Comparison: new versus old rules • "Restart" provision is a loophole that will lengthen hours on the road • Comparison: US versus E.U. rules for monitoring truckers' driving hours

Vol. 37, No. 6, June 8, 2002: Comparison of trucking rules: updated E.U. rules and outdated US rules

Vol. 36, No. 10, November 15, 2001: Large truck crashes have declined per mile but not per capita • Allowing younger truck drivers isn't a good idea, even on a trial basis

Vol. 36, No. 7, July 28, 2001: Reflective tape on trucks reduces crashes into the sides and rears of trailers

Vol. 35, No. 9, October 21, 2000: Truckers' hours of service are in contention, and a new federal rulemaking process has been interrupted • On-board recorders explained

Vol. 35, No. 1, January 15, 2000: Truckers' driving hours would be extended under Canadian proposal

Vol. 34, No. 7, July 17, 1999: On toll roads, rates of multiple-vehicle crashes for trucks exceed rates for passenger vehicles

Vol. 34, No. 6, June 19, 1999: European truck regulations are much tougher than US rules • Conspicuity rules for new truck trailers are extended to existing ones • Safety of longer combination vehicles is subject of new federal report

Vol. 33, No. 10. December 5 , 1998: Office of Motor Carriers transfer to NHTSA is blocked when industry lobbies Congressional leaders

Vol. 33, No. 2, March 7, 1998: Truck drivers say they drive while drowsy

Vol. 32, No. 10, December 27, 1997: Truck reflective material study finds tape US requires may not be best

Vol. 32, No. 7, August 30, 1997: Most truckers die in single-vehicle crashes, usually rollovers

Vol. 32, No. 2 February 15, 1997: Large truck-car underride crashes undercounted in FARS

Vol. 32, No. 1 January 11, 1997: Big trucks get airbags

Regulatory comments

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning proposed new federal motor vehicle safety standard to require electronic stability control systems on heavy vehicles including truck tractors and buses (Docket No. NHTSA-2012-0065), August 17, 2012

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning proposed amendment to hours-of-service rule requiring all motor carriers who maintain records of duty status to use electronic onboard recorders to document driver compliance (FMCSA-2010-0167), March 21, 2011

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning proposed revisions to hours-of-service rule to reduce daily driving limit from 11 to 10 hours with single restart provision (FMCSA-2004-19608), March 4, 2011

Comment to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning agency's technical report on the effectiveness of underride guards for heavy trailers (Docket No. NHTSA-2010-0150), December 10, 2010

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the interim final rule on hours of service for commercial truck drivers (Docket No. FMCSA-2004-19608), March 6, 2008

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning electronic on-board recorders for hours-of-service compliance (Docket No. FMCSA-2004-18940), April 18, 2007

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning devices to limit the speed of certain trucks (Docket No. NHTSA-2007-26851), March 27, 2007

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the exemption of commercial drivers with diabetes to operate in interstate commerce (Docket No. FMCSA-2005-23151), June 15, 2006

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning proposed reductions in required stopping distances for large trucks (Docket No. NHTSA-2005-21462), April 14, 2006

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the Institute's study of hours-of-service compliance by long-distance commercial truck drivers (Docket No. FMCSA–2004–18940/17286), October 18, 2005

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning Xora Inc. application for exemption from design requirements for on-board recording devices to monitor commercial drivers hours of services (Docket No. FMCSA-2005-21338), July 15, 2005

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning recommendations from Inspector General Mead for increased enforcement of hours-of-service regulations (Docket No. FMCSA-2004-19608/18940/17286), June 15, 2005

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning its notice of proposed rulemaking on truck drivers' hours of service (Docket No. FMCSA-2004-19608), March 10, 2005

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning supporting documents for drivers' hours of service (Docket No. FMCSA-1998-3706), January 3, 2005

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the Canadian Trucking Alliance's endorsement of electronic on-board recorders for Canadian hours-of-service compliance (Docket No. FMCSA-2004-18490/17286), December 8, 2004

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning electronic on-board recorders for hours-of-service compliance (Docket No. FMCSA-2004-18490/17286), November 30, 2004

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning exemption to allow Werner Enterprises, Inc., to use global positioning system technology to monitor and record drivers' hours of service (Docket No. FMCSA-2003-15818), January 12, 2004

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning graduated commercial driver's licensing; qualifications, testing and licensing standards (Docket No. FMCSA-2002-12334), May 23, 2003

Comment to the US Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning security requirements for motor carriers transporting hazardous materials (Docket No. FMCSA-02-11650) October 15, 2002

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning hours of service of commercial drivers (Docket No. FMCSA 97-2350), June 7, 2002

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning collecting information on driver's record of duty status (Docket No. FMCSA 2001-9688; Docket No. FMCSA 1997-2350), February 26, 2002

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the requirements for holding commercial driver's licenses (Docket No. FMCSA 2001-9709), October 25, 2001

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the proposal for exemptions to certain insulin-using diabetic truck drivers (Docket No. FMCSA 2001-9800), October 1, 2001

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the proposal for younger commercial driver pilot training program (Docket No. FMCSA 2000-8410), May 21, 2001

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the hours-of-service rulemaking and results from a national public opinion survey on trucks and highway safety sponsored by the Insurance Research Council (Docket No. FMCSA 97-2350), January 19, 2001

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the hours-of-service notice of proposed rulemaking and the availability of inexpensive automated recording devices that meet the agency's proposed specifications (Docket No. FMCSA 97-2350), December 15, 2000

Comment to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning the hours-of-service notice of proposed rulemaking (Docket No. FMCSA 97-2350), August 4, 2000

Testimony

Statement before the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security, Requiring electronic on-board recorders in large trucks, Anne T. McCartt, May 1, 2007

Statement before the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Electronic On-Board Recorders for Documenting Hours of Service, Anne T. McCartt, March 12, 2007

Briefs

Brief objecting to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's permitting drivers of commercial motor vehicles to drive up to 11 hours a day and allowing them to restart their weekly hours-of-service after 34 hours off duty, July 3, 2006

Brief objecting to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's 2003 final rule on hours-of-service for drivers of commercial motor vehicles, December 11, 2003

Petitions

Petition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning upgrade of rear impact standards to improve underride guard test procedures and performance requirements (Docket No. 1-11, Notice 11), February 28, 2011

Petition to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concerning reconsideration of hours of service for drivers of commercial motor vehicles (Docket No. FMCSA–2004–19608), September 23, 2005