Why is it a big deal if my truck is overloaded?

If you drive a heavy truck, you have probably heard a lot about how driver fatigue and distracted driving contribute to accidents. However, another high-ranking cause of truck accidents in Texas is the overloading of cargo. This occurs when the load you are carrying surpasses the physical or legal capacities of your truck.

According to Trucker Info, there are several reasons why overloading contributes to traffic accidents. For one, it reduces your ability to safely drive and maneuver the truck. When your vehicle is carrying excess weight, it takes more energy and power even for simple movements. This makes it harder to overpass other vehicles or drive uphill. It also leads to faster speeds when driving downhill, which increases the risk of losing control.

You do not just lose power when you drive an overloaded truck; you also drive an unstable vehicle. A truck is built to carry a certain cargo weight. When you go over this, you reduce the efficacy of the safety mechanisms. This includes things like brakes, on-board stability tools, anti-rollover systems and similar components to the truck.

The capacity of the brakes is meant for a certain weight; anything beyond that, and the brakes no longer work as they are supposed to. For example, you need to brake much sooner with a heavier load. If you misjudge how early you should brake because you are not used to the excess weight, then you would end up not braking fast enough, leading to an accident. It also increases the wear and tear of the axles, brake pads, tires and other parts of the truck, which can contribute to an accident.

Another factor that contributes to increased number of truck accidents is that the center of gravity shifts, making it easier to lose control of the vehicle. You also have to deal with excess inertia when you do brake or maneuver. These factors reduce the overall stability of the truck, increase the chance of rolling over and contribute to more severe accidents.