Why UPS Trucks Get Into Accidents Very Frequently

In this post, we'll explore some possible reasons why UPS trucks get into accidents so often.

00:24 28 May 2022

UPS trucks are notoriously unreliable for a variety of reasons. One of the most common issues is the high number of accidents that UPS trucks experience on a regular basis.

 

In this post, we'll explore some possible reasons why UPS trucks get into accidents so often. We hope to shed some insight and perspective on what might be going wrong with these heavy vehicles, and provide suggestions for how to improve their safety record in order to save lives as well as packages.

 

1. UPS Drivers Negligence

It's certainly not a surprise that some UPS drivers are responsible for the high number of accidents that UPS vehicles experience. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there are many UPS accidents since 2012, resulting in many deaths and injuries. 

 

An investigative report conducted by the Associated Press in 2013 showed that many UPS drivers aren't following federal safety regulations when it comes to driving a large truck on the road, including speeding and ignoring weight limits. UPS accident claim statistics show that at least 1,800 UPS trucks were involved in accidents between 2009 and 2012, which is an average of over 1,200 per year. These numbers suggest that a huge number of these accidents are due to driver negligence.

 

2. UPS Vehicles are for Their Purpose

UPS trucks are designed very well with steel and aluminum in mind. Their suspensions are built to extend the tires as far as possible to carry heavy loads, and they get wings and wide tires to reduce wind resistance while driving. This kind of construction is advantageous if the truck is merely used to haul small packages around, but it's overkill for any emergency response role that requires running at high speeds.

 

3. UPS Trucks are Large and Tall

UPS trucks are typically the biggest truck on the road and often the tallest too. This doesn't make a lot of sense from an emergency response standpoint. Their capacity is much too high for their weight and size, so they reach top speeds faster, yet have much less room to accelerate safely when being confronted with emergencies or traffic jams. This means that UPS drivers are constantly looking out for cars and pedestrians, which makes it even more difficult for them to maintain focus.

 

4. UPS Trucks Lack Advanced Safety Features

Another big problem with UPS trucks is the fact that they don't have many advanced safety features. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration doesn't require them to have any. Most other large trucks are required to be equipped with a variety of safety features, including backup cameras, lane departure warning systems, and side impact airbags. UPS trucks are allowed to lack all of these features due to an exemption for vehicles that do not travel more than 7500 miles per year and operate on interstate highways only.

 

5. Poor Maintenance and Maintenance Scheduling

Many experts agree that the most important way to reduce the number of UPS accidents is to improve vehicle maintenance scheduling. This means that all maintenance should be done on trucks before they are driven. The problem is that many UPS drivers are responsible for their own cleaning and repair, which makes it easy for them to put off or skip regular maintenance. Also, these vehicles often spend a lot of time on the road with very little rest.

 

In conclusion, UPS trucks suffer from a variety of different problems that arise out of an ineffective safety program, but if these problems can be addressed, UPS drivers will be able to operate their vehicles in a much safer manner and prevent future accidents.