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Is an 18 Wheeler Legal? A lot of car accidents happen and can result in physical injury, medical bills and time taken away from work. If an 18-wheeler is involved, the consequences are far more severe. If this happens, the victims are able to file a claim for financial compensation. A New Orleans truck accident lawyer can help. Weight Limits In general 18 wheelers can carry 80,000 pounds in total, not including the weight of cargo. This is a strict limitation that requires trucking companies to load their vehicles as full as possible and could result in overloading. Truck drivers who exceed this limit can be penalized. The penalties differ based on where they live. You can tell when an 18 wheeler is going over the limit by observing their lights. A single flash from their blinkers means that it's safe to merge in the front of them, whereas flashes of high intensity or multiple flashes indicate that it's not. Keep an eye out for truck drivers who are also using their lights as a way to communicate with each other. It's important to always leave plenty of space between your vehicle and an 18 wheeler particularly when you pass. Trucks need plenty of room to slow down and stop, and if you cut them off, it could lead to an unfathomable crash. Car drivers are the cause of 72 percent of crashes involving trucks and cars. Number of Axles Like cars, semi-trucks need multiple axles to rotate their wheels. A typical truck has four wheels, which includes the drive and steer axles. Trailers usually have two tandem axles. It is important to keep in mind that these vehicles are bigger than the average passenger car. The weight limits for axles are based on a variety of factors, like the Federal Bridge Formula and the legal limits set by each state for single axles and axle groups. Limits for states can be higher than federal limits, and it is important for truckers to know before they travel. The process of transporting freight is already difficult enough and adding additional weight increases the likelihood of an accident. A trucker who overloads his trailer is in violation of law and could be held accountable for any injuries resulting from. If you've been injured as a result of an accident with an 18-wheeler, a truck accident lawyer will help determine if the driver was carrying more than the maximum weight allowed, and if that negligence was the cause of your injuries. Speed Limits For any driver, speeding is one of the most frequent causes of truck accidents. This is especially the case for big trucks due to their weight, size and size. For this reason, it is important for truckers to adhere to the speed limits on every route they travel. Truck drivers are often pressured to speed up delivery times and may not be able slow down enough to match the conditions. This can lead to dangerous driving, and could also be fatal for other motorists. 18 wheeler accident case newport beach is, however, possible to minimize the risk of these accidents by using speed limiters. This is a gadget that will automatically limit the speed of a truck to a safe speed and is installed in various types of trucks. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is looking into the possibility of a new rule that will require truckers use these devices. The agency has released an additional notification of the proposed rulemaking in order to solicit feedback on the proposal. In previous proposals it was suggested that truck speeds be restricted to 60 or 65 miles per hour. Insurance The majority of private car owners purchase one insurance policy to cover all their vehicles. Truckers on the other hand do not own the vehicles they drive. They lease their 18-wheelers from a trucking firm. Trucking companies require higher limits of liability insurance because commercial vehicles are more dangerous. In addition, they can purchase cargo and bobtail coverage for their vehicles. Cargo insurance covers the cargo that a semi-truck is carrying. Bobtail insurance protects the truck after it has delivered its load. In the event of an accident the policies could help to compensate grieving victims or family members for their losses. Maintenance It's not always easy to get an accurate estimate of maintenance costs for commercial vehicles. This is because commercial vehicles are extremely expensive to maintain and repair, especially when they need major repairs. Some trucking companies offer maintenance schedules to estimate the cost of maintaining the vehicle. Trucks are usually equipped with 10 brakes, not 18 and anti-lock brakes are common in newer vehicles. The trucks take about 40 percent longer to stop than a car. This is due in part to the large size and momentum of an 18-wheeler. The term “eighteen wheeler” has become synonymous with trucking and is even used in country music songs like the Red Sovine titles “Giddyup Go” and “Teddy Bear” and the thrash metal group BigRig's hit song “Roll on”. It is important to keep in mind that these trucks aren't home on the roads and must adhere to the same rules as other drivers. It is against the law for truckers, for instance to use their mobile phones while driving. A single second of negligence could result in fatal consequences.