Truck fatalities highest in 30 years in first full year of ELD mandate


Mike

Mike

Well-Known Member
Staff member
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published the final fatal crash numbers for 2018, revealing an overall reduction. However, fatalities involving large trucks reached a 30-year high during the first full year of the ELD mandate.

According to NHTSA, there was a 2.4% decrease in people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2018 when compared with the previous year. In total, 36,560 people were killed. In 2017, 37,473 people died in a vehicle crash.

The number of occupants killed declined in all vehicle categories except large trucks.

Large truck occupant fatalities increased by 0.8% to a total of 885. That is the highest it has been since 1988, when 911 truck occupants were killed. The number of fatal crashes involving large trucks increased by 1.1%.

landline.media

Truck fatalities highest in 30 years in first full year of ELD mandate

Large truck-involved fatalities reached a 30-year high during the first full year of the ELD mandate, according to recently released NHTSA numbers.
landline.media landline.media
 

Mike said:
feel free to explain.
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The headline is "Fatalities involving trucks...." the implication being that *ALL* fatalities including those in smaller vehicles involved in big truck accidents are up. The article has to be read to see that overall fatalities are down, but its the fatalities of *truck occupants* that's up.
 
ironpony said:
The headline is "Fatalities involving trucks...." the implication being that *ALL* fatalities including those in smaller vehicles involved in big truck accidents are up. The article has to be read to see that overall fatalities are down, but its the fatalities of *truck occupants* that's up.
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Not seeing how that is misleading. It actually makes things clearer, pointing out that overall, fatalities are down, but since the mandate, fatalities involving trucks has actually risen. Points a spotlight directly at the ELD.

End of the year, we go to full blown ELD nationwide. 2020 numbers will be interesting. I can virtually guarantee truck stop accidents will increase.
 
Mike said:
Not seeing how that is misleading. It actually makes things clearer, pointing out that overall, fatalities are down, but since the mandate, fatalities involving trucks has actually risen. Points a spotlight directly at the ELD.

End of the year, we go to full blown ELD nationwide. 2020 numbers will be interesting. I can virtually guarantee truck stop accidents will increase.
Click to expand...
To the average reader, the headline would convey something different from what's in the story.

We know ELD was sold on safety, but its true use is control at lower cost.
 
Hillbilly Canuck said:
See the thing is ELDs or any other overbearing stranglehold they wanna put on us will never fix stupid cunts in 4 wheelers.
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The unintended consequence that we all knew was coming is that it rushed drivers, and therefore lead to increased accidents.

ELD mandate tightens up in December, expect it to be worse.
 
Rigjockey said:
The only drivers that are rushed by an ELD are,
a) drivers with poor trip planning.
b) drivers that have **** poor dispatchers.
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This is true, but the fact is that those will always be out here ,and the ELD is going to push these people to make mistakes, or another unintended consequence, overlook other people's mistakes more often.

Even with good planning, things happen, and we all were accustomed to getting the job done. Something unexpected happens, and we find ourselves in a rush against the clock, because the clock now has a hard stop.
 
Rigjockey said:
The only drivers that are rushed by an ELD are,
a) drivers with poor trip planning.
b) drivers that have **** poor dispatchers.
Click to expand...
c) drivers who have day cabs and get stuck in a jam because a FedEx pup flipped.

I don't usually feel *rushed* as a rule but I also don't have the luxury of stopping for much to earn the money I make. And sh*t does happen.
 
Electric Chicken said:
c) drivers who have day cabs and get stuck in a jam because a FedEx pup flipped.

I don't usually feel *rushed* as a rule but I also don't have the luxury of stopping for much to earn the money I make. And sh*t does happen.
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So there are times throughout the day that you would maybe stretch your legs a little before taking off, but the electronic leash dictates that you get moving now. That little push is what leads to the increase in accidents.
 
Mike said:
So there are times throughout the day that you would maybe stretch your legs a little before taking off, but the electronic leash dictates that you get moving now. That little push is what leads to the increase in accidents.
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To be fair, in my specific job I'm out of the truck every couple hours to drop and hook. Longest one we have, that I hate, is a 225 mile stretch. And I still get out because I can't drink the coffee and water I drink without stopping to pee.

Typical shift for me is 150 miles, drop and hook, 15 miles, drop and hook, 135 miles, drop and hook, 12 miles, drop and hook, 12 miles, drop and hook.

A pair over 100 plus some short stuff is an easy $350-400 in about 10 hours.

Honestly if we had 65-70mph trucks to keep up with normal, we could make $500 a day without really trying.

It's just when SHTF that we get edgy.
 
Mike said:
Makes sense.

2018, Rates were through the roof, nothing really got to me.

2019, Rates dropped, I noticed I get set off much quicker. I push myself a little harder, ELD has become an issue from time to time.
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Not a lot sets me off but getting cut off is one. Can't satisfy the stupid onguard by simply letting off the throttle. Gotta BRAKE every time. That's what pisses me off.

So basically, the first 8 hours of my shift are great. It's the last 4 I'd rather not deal with.

We don't have gangbuster days anymore here either, FWIW. Used to be you could see a $600 peak when everything went tops. But those days seem to be gone. $300 is my low side of happy (keeps the bills paid and about a grand in savings for the month), $400 I'm thrilled (can throw down towards a gooseneck).
 
mndriver said:
8 hours on the phone with WEX on hold will set off anyone.
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What, you expect people to actually care that they have people on the other end of the line? LOL.

Wait, there isn't a line anymore, that phrase it completely outdated....
 
Electric Chicken said:
Not a lot sets me off but getting cut off is one. Can't satisfy the stupid onguard by simply letting off the throttle. Gotta BRAKE every time. That's what pisses me off.

So basically, the first 8 hours of my shift are great. It's the last 4 I'd rather not deal with.

We don't have gangbuster days anymore here either, FWIW. Used to be you could see a $600 peak when everything went tops. But those days seem to be gone. $300 is my low side of happy (keeps the bills paid and about a grand in savings for the month), $400 I'm thrilled (can throw down towards a gooseneck).
Click to expand...

That’s worse than our OnGuard. We can listen to it beep endlessly if you can stand it.

I have a 2020 this week on its maiden voyage and it’s now incorporated into the truck itself and shows up on the info center in the middle of the gauge cluster. It’s far less annoying now though.
 

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