An accident with a small car is one thing, but a collision with a large truck is entirely different. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines a “large truck” as a medium or heavy truck that can carry over 10,000 pounds. Large trucks need to be substantially bigger and more powerful than an everyday family car because of the need to carry such a heavy payload. The difference in size means an accident between a large truck and a smaller car could be catastrophic.
Naturally, most big rigs are owned and operated by companies whose businesses involve transporting cargo from point A to point B. They need vehicles capable of hauling heavy freight. The chances of a collision between a large truck and a smaller passenger vehicle significantly increase when there are more trucks sharing the road. Indeed, the companies with the most trucks in their fleet tend to also be the companies involved in the most accidents.
Some of the largest transportation companies by revenue and number of employees include UPS, FedEx, J.B. Hunt, TFI International, XPO, Landstar System, Knight-Swift, Scheider, Ryder, and Old Dominion.
The Top Companies’ Number of Trucks and Number of Accidents
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) System offers a snapshot of transportation companies for a rolling 24-month period. According to SAFER, in the 24 months before August 2024, some of the largest trucking companies were also involved in thousands of trucking accidents in the United States:
- UPS had 123,444 vehicles and was involved in 2,622 crashes
- FedEx Express had 137,482 vehicles and was involved in 657 crashes
- B. Hunt had 24,025 vehicles and was involved in 1,757 crashes
- XPO had 9,955 vehicles and was involved in 734 crashes
- Landstar had 6,737 vehicles and was involved in 385 crashes
- Knight Transportation had 3,200 vehicles and was involved in 169 crashes
The number of crashes in SAFER refers to the total number of accidents where a vehicle was towed away, resulted in an injury, or involved a death.
Fatal Collisions
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 536,424 large trucks were involved in traffic accidents in 2022. A total of 5,936 people were killed in these collisions.
In Texas, 782 large trucks were involved in fatal traffic crashes, the highest number in the U.S. The next highest was California with 421 large trucks.
Call If You’ve Been in a Truck Accident With a Major Company
A collision with a big rig can alter your life or the life of a loved one in an instant, and Texas has the unfortunate distinction of being the state with the most fatal truck accidents. If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a semi-trailer crash, contact a reliable truck accident lawyer to discuss your case.
Our personal injury attorneys have extensive experience handling truck accidents and could help you hold the company responsible for your loss or injuries.
