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Is an 18 Wheeler Legal? A lot of car accidents happen and result in physical injury, medical bills and time lost from work. However, when an 18-wheeler is involved it can be much more serious. Victims are able to make a claim for financial compensation when this occurs. A New Orleans truck accident lawyer can help. Weight Limits In general 18 wheelers are able to carry 80,000 pounds including the weight of cargo. This is a very strict limit that requires trucking firms to load their vehicles as full as possible and may result in overloading. Drivers who exceed this limit may be penalized, and the penalties vary based the place they live. If you examine the lights of an 18-wheeler you can usually tell whether they're going over the speed limit. A single flash from their blinkers indicates that it's safe to merge ahead of them, whereas flashes that are high or multiple indicate that it's not. Truck drivers also utilize their lights to communicate, so keep watch for them when merging. Always leave a good distance between your vehicle and an 18-wheeler. This is crucial when passing. Trucks require plenty of room to slow down and stop and if you cut them off it could result in fatal crashes. Although truck drivers are commonly seen as bullies on the road, 72% of crashes between passenger cars and trucks are caused by car drivers. Number of Axles In contrast to cars, semi-trucks require multiple axles to turn the wheels. A semi-truck typically has four wheels, which includes the drive and steer axles. Trailers usually come with two tandem axles. It's important to remember that these vehicles are much longer than a typical car for a passenger. The limits on axle weights are determined by a variety of factors including the Federal Bridge Formula, and the single axle and axle group legal limits set by each state. The state limit could be higher than the Federal limit that is why it is vital for truckers to understand the federal and state limits on axle weight prior to travel. The task of transporting cargo is enough to be difficult but adding weight increases the likelihood of an accident. A trucker who overloaded his trailer is in violation of law and may be held responsible for any injuries that occur as a result. A lawyer for truck accidents can determine if the driver of an 18-wheeler was at fault and the reason for the accident if you were injured. Speed Limits Speeding is one of the main causes of truck accidents, as every driver knows. This is particularly the case for larger trucks, which are much more likely to crash due to their weight and size. Truckers must therefore observe speed limits on all roads they travel on. Truck drivers are often under pressure to speed up delivery times and may not be able slow down enough to meet the conditions. This can result in dangerous driving, and could also be deadly for other motorists. Fortunately, it is possible to decrease the risk of these accidents by using speed limiters. This is a device which will automatically limit the speed of a vehicle to a safe amount that can be installed in many different types of trucks. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is currently evaluating an amendment to the rulebook that would require truckers to use these devices. 18 wheeler accident law firm fort wayne has issued an additional notification of the proposed rulemaking to gather feedback on the proposal. Previous proposals have talked about restricting truck speeds to 60, 65, or even 68 speeds. Insurance Most private vehicle owners buy one policy to cover all their vehicles. Truckers however don't own the truck they drive. Instead, they rent their 18-wheelers to a trucking company. Trucking companies require greater limits of liability insurance due to the fact that commercial vehicles are more dangerous. In addition, they can purchase bobtail and cargo coverage for their vehicles. Cargo insurance protects the freight that semi-trucks transport. Bobtail insurance protects the truck once it has delivered its cargo. In the event of a collision such policies can assist to compensate grieving family members for their losses. Maintenance It can be difficult to estimate the maintenance costs of commercial vehicles. This is because trucks are extremely expensive to repair and maintain, especially when they need major repairs. Some trucking companies provide maintenance schedules to estimate the cost of maintaining a vehicle. Trucks have ten brakes instead of 18 and anti-lock breaks are being offered on new trucks. In general, trucks take around 40 percent longer than a typical car to stop. This is due to the massive size and acceleration of an 18-wheeler. The term “eighteen-wheeler” is now synonymous with trucking. It has even been used in country music, like the songs “Giddyup go” and “Teddy Bear”, by Red Sovine, and “Roll on” by thrash metal group BigRig. It is nevertheless important to remember that these trucks are not home on the road and they must follow the same rules as other drivers. For example, it is illegal for truckers to text while driving as the smallest moment of distraction could result in fatal consequences.