With a longer body at almost 80 feet and almost 10x (or more!) weight than your average pick-up truck, hauling trucks truly live up to their name as “mean machines” on the road. Well, mean machines in such a way as these roadside travelers can be truly menacing and have often been labeled high risk by insurance companies. When thinking of obtaining a policy like say an owner driver income protection insurance Australia coverage for a single proprietorship transport business, it is only fitting to be adept of the many risks truckies have to contend on and off the road.
Understanding Negligence
Hauling vehicles ranging from simple courier vans to big rigs are known to be dangerous particularly when they collide with smaller ones. Injuries obtained from such incidents can be life-changing with many resulting in fatality. Some common injuries are broken bones, loss of limbs, organ damage, brain injury, paralysis, and so on. But digging deeper, what truly caused these accidents?
Though highly debated, experts point to negligence as the main culprit the following causes of accidents. Negligence, however, does not just point to truckies but also to inexperienced or reckless private drivers. Some of the most common causes are the following:
No Preventive Maintenance. Some owner drivers tend to ignore preventive maintenance for the alleged costs it brings. This is even more so to truckies who have no experience as a mechanic or have just started in the hauling business. The sad thing is that, preventive maintenance could have stretched a trucks lifetime by addressing miniscule problems they are blown out of proportion. Doing routine checks and repairs will ultimately lay down a strong foundation for your growing transport business.
Fatigue. Another common yet frequently taken for granted cause of truck accidents is fatigue. Truckies tend to clock in long hours and with only a few hours break to eat and rest. Add to that hazardous road terrains and inclement weather, and one has the perfect recipe for disaster. As a rule, long haul truck drivers have to rest for 10 hours or more before a return trip. Cutting this short or not heeding this will only increase their chances of meeting accidents and causing harm to others as well as themselves.
Road Distractions. Aside from the weather, truckies are often exposed to various road distractions. Answering a phone call, even when hands-free, or eating a pre-packed sandwich or drinking out of a water jug may still risk drivers to lose a few seconds attention off the road and other road users. Do not multi-task. Try to pull off the road when trying to do anything other than driving.
Shortcuts. Experience can be both a boon and a bane to truckies. To others who have trudged the same route over and over again, cutting short seemingly long procedures is a welcomed perspective. This, however, may only lead to disastrous results. Always follow procedure no matter how long. Better reach your destination late in one piece rather than arrive early with nothing in it.
At some point in their lives, truck drivers will ultimately be exposed to any of these usual causes of accidents. While protection from general liabilities and to the vehicles are often put as a top priority, many drivers forego the need to protect their source of livelihood. This is where a dependable owner driver income protection insurance Australia policy comes in. To learn more, call our hotline or send us a request for a consultation on what coverage will be right for you.