Types of Commercial Vehicle Accidents
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Following are the types of vehicles that are typically involved in Texas trucking accidents:
- Dump Truck: A dump truck is a type of commercial vehicle used for hauling loose material such as sand, gravel, dirt, or construction and demolition debris. A typical dump truck has an open box bed operated by a hydraulic lift. When fully loaded, dump trucks may weigh more than 33,000 pounds and need much more time to slow down at intersections than passenger vehicles do. Among heavy-duty work trucks such as cement mixers, tow trucks, garbage trucks and utility trucks, dump trucks are the most crash-prone.
- Semi-Trailer Truck:A semi-trailer truck is a large commercial truck also known as an 18-wheeler, a semi, a tractor-trailer or a big rig. A semi-trailer does not have a front axle. Its front end is attached to the back of a road tractor by means of a fifth wheel on the back of the tractor. Semis are used to carry freight. Types of semi-trailers include dry-freight vans, refrigerated trailers, flatbeds and tank trailers.
- 18-Wheeler: An 18-wheeler is a large commercial truck used in interstate and long-haul shipping and freight movement. An 18-wheeler has a semi-truck configuration consisting of a tractor and a trailer with 18 wheels.
- Flatbed Truck: Flatbeds are large commercial trucks that pull open-bed trailers. They are used to transport large pieces of machinery and equipment and bulky cargo that would not fit in an enclosed trailer.
- Tanker Truck: A tanker truck or cargo tanker is used to carry liquids, compressed natural gas and fuels, including gasoline, diesel and fuel oil. Tanker trucks may be insulated or non-insulated, pressurized or non-pressurized, and designed for single or multiple loads. Tanker trucks have a high center of gravity and are more prone to overturning on a banked curve. The external pipes on tanker trucks, which are the loading lines, are often filled with flammable liquids and may cause a catastrophic fire in the event of an accident.
- Garbage Truck: A waste collection truck or sanitation truck is specially designed to pick up and compress large quantities of household waste and haul it to a landfill or recycling center. Some are equipped with mechanical arms that pick up and empty garbage cans into the back of the garbage truck.
- Panel Truck: A panel truck is a windowless cargo van. It is built on a truck chassis, but it is smaller and lighter in weight than a large commercial truck such as an 18-wheeler. Panel trucks are often used for the delivery of flowers, laundry, and other consumer goods.
