Large trucks serve an important role in the movement of goods across the country. Each day Worcester residents see semis, cargo vehicles and other commercial trucks carrying items to stores and retail centers where consumers can buy them. While airplanes, train, and other modes of transportation may pay parts in getting goods to where they need to go, trucks are on the ground, night and day, making important deliveries.
Although most trucks operate safely and have responsible drivers behind their wheels, some trucks and their operators may pose dangers to others. Past posts on this blog have discussed some of the hazards that trucks can present to other vehicles and their passengers. This post will briefly touch on the dangers of unsecured cargo in large trucks and vehicles.
Cargo is the term that refers to the items that a vehicle carries with it. The cargo may be contained in boxes, on pallets or in other another containment form. Loading a truck is an important part of making sure that it will be safe on the road, so much so that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued guidance on how cargo should be secured when it is in transport.
Tie-downs, bars and filler materials can be used to keep cargo from shifting while in the containment area of a large truck. Shifting cargo can cause a truck to become off-balance and can cause it to lose control. The failure of a trucking company to properly secure its cargo with the right materials for the load may result in a devastating truck accident that causing injuries and losses to its victims.
