IN 2012, 1,701,500 Americans worked in the trucking and heavy hauling industry. It’s estimated that large trucks and heavy hauling vehicles travel 2,965 highway miles per second. Heavy haul trucking takes up a large portion of the highways so it shouldn’t be surprising that they, too, are involved in a big portion of the accidents.
Heavy haul companies offer extensive driver training but in a giant heavy haul transportation, such an an 18-wheeler, training isn’t always enough. For example, its often not solely a heavy haul driver but their interaction with a much smaller vehicle that produces accidents. So, how do we address that? We separate the two.
Tractor trailer engines can weigh up to six times more than car engines. Plus, their function is distinctly different. Heavy haul trucking company are executing commerce. If so much money is being made, the cost of that commerce should not be road safety. Plus, with dedicated lanes, heavy haul services could potentially make more by making the speedlimit higher and avoiding congestion around cities.
Nearly 70% of all the freights moved in the U.S. go on trucks. Dedicated lanes would be used by all of these people. This could improve safety and efficiency of hauling goods. So why doesn’t it happen? For starters, it hard to say who would pay for it. However, it could certainly make sense that companies profiting from these channels would pay. Another consideration is space. Highways were built back when fewer people had settled on land. Displacing people for this project would not be ideal. However, roadways would surely be mappable with some insight and talent.
With our safety at stake the question is not why make lanes for heavy haul companies? It is rather, why not?
