Driving down the road you see trucks with large trailers behind them, many of which have a logo or design on the sides and the back of them. You are probably familiar with many of these large truck companies such as UPS, FedEx etc., and you are also most likely aware that commercial vehicles are frequently in accidents. However, have you wondered what trucking companies and delivery services have the worst record for accidents and who has the best? This blog post will explore some of the largest trucking companies and examine their accident statistics.
Truck Company Accident Statistics
The statistics for truck accidents are scary and troubling. Between the years of 2009 and 2013 there was a sharp increase in the number of truck accidents, and particularly ones, where there was a fatality involved. While there are hundreds of trucking companies that operate on our roads, the following is a small snapshot of some of the larger companies and their accident statistics.
UPS – UPS is one of the largest trucking companies in the United States and the world. With a 2015 revenue of 48.9 billion dollars and a fleet of vehicles including package cars, vans, tractors, motorcycles and alternative fuel vehicles totaling over 111,000, it is easy to see why this company may have a higher rate of accidents. In the two years before the National Highway Traffic Association released their report, United Postal Service drivers were involved in over 1,400 crashes. Out of these accidents over five hundred accidents caused injuries, and there were thirty-nine deaths.
Averitt Express – Averitt express is a smaller company compared to some of the others on this list. This company is based out of Cookeville, Tennessee and employs over 4,000 tractors. In addition, this company owns almost 12,500 trailers as of 2015. From 2010 to 2012 Averitt Express drivers were involved in a relatively small amount of accidents, as compared to other companies with only 308 reported crashes. However, Averitt Express also reported that out of these accidents there were 100 that involved injuries, and there were a reported twenty-two deaths.
In the 24-month period prior to Oct. 18, 2012, drivers were reported to have been involved in 553 crashes, 198 involving injuries, including 15 deaths.
DHL – DHL is a division of a German logistics company called Deutsch Post DHL, that provides international express mail services. They employ nearly 325,000 employees worldwide. While there are only a small number of accidents that are attributed to them each year, their numbers suggest that these accidents may be more severe. There were only eight reported accidents in the two year period, but half of them resulted in some form of injury. It is not clear if these numbers accurately reflect the number of accidents, injuries, and possibly deaths because of their international headquarters.
FedEx is a behemoth in the transportation and delivery industry. Not only do they have a full service fleet of trucks, but they also have air delivery services as well. FedEx reports that they have over 48,000 vehicles on the road which includes package cars, vans, tractors, motorcycles and alternative fuel vehicles. They deliver over 4 million packages a day and are present in every state including Alaska and Hawaii. However, with these large numbers there is obviously an increased chance that there will be accidents. In the two years before October 2012 FedEx drivers were involved in an estimated 500 crashes which resulted in almost 200 injuries, and eleven deaths.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services – J.B Hunt is another large trucking company that has over 17,000 trailers and 7,000 trucks. This fortune 500 company is considered one the leading transportation providers in the United States and employs almost 20,000 workers. However, they have seen their fair share of accidents. Between 2010 and 2012 J.B reported that their vehicles were involved in almost 800 accidents with a resultant 300 injuries. Sadly, there were also twelve deaths reported during this time period.
Swift Transportation is headquarter in Phoenix Arizona and employs almost 18,000 people as of 2010. They are listed as the largest common carrier and have over 16,000 trucks and tractor-trailers on the roads. Swift drivers were reportedly involved in a total of 1,500 crashes, 435 of those caused injuries, and 38 deaths resulted from accidents involving Swift Drivers.
It is hard to say which company has the worst track record, however, what is certain is that there are a high number of accidents reported every year. The death toll for truck accidents has continued to rise despite demands for stricter regulations on drivers. Between 2009 and 2013 there was a seventeen percent increase in the number of truck-involved crashes. While technology in standard passenger vehicles has contributed to a slight decrease in the number of deaths, the increasing number of accidents involving tractor-trailers is outweighing these improvements.
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer Today
To schedule a private, no cost evaluation, call our truck accident lawyers at (215) 709-6940 or contact us online. If the statute of limitations expires, your window of legal opportunity will close and you won’t be able to pursue a claim. So contact us today to see how we can make our experience work for you. You only pay if there’s a financial recovery.
