Safety Statistics for Top Trucking Companies

How Do You Compare the Safety Data for the Top Trucking Companies?

Keep in mind when comparing truck accident statistics that a company’s overall safety record is about more than simply the total number of accidents. A company’s safety is more accurately determined by comparing the number of accidents to the number of vehicles operated by the company. Likewise, the percentage of the accidents that cause injury or death, as opposed to those that simply damage property, is also important to understanding the general safety rating of a company.

For example, if Swift Transportation reported 1,226 crashes over a two-year period, resulting in 31 deaths, and Averitt Express tallied 393 crashes and 16 deaths in the same time frame—which has the safer record? To determine the answer, it’s important to note that if Averitt had 5,451 drivers as compared to Swift’s 20,530 drivers, Swift’s number of accidents and deaths should be 3-4 times the amount reported by Averitt if their accidents were proportionally equal. However, if Swift only has double the fatalities of Averitt, that means accidents involving Averitt were far more likely to be fatal than those involving Swift.

Which Are the Safest Trucking Companies and Which Are the Most Dangerous?

All carriers are required to report crash information to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency under the Department of Transportation. The information they must regularly provide includes:

  • A brief summary of crashes involving injuries for a given time period
  • All basic information of the trucking company, from mailing address to the number of drivers
  • Information specifics about the carrier type and cargo they may haul

The FMCSA routinely makes this information available to the public, and it is the source for the up-to-date interactive map on this page.

Remember: If you or a family member has been involved in a truck accident, these companies have teams of lawyers and investigators working to protect their interests, and never yours. We can assist in all 50 states and our team is available on call to answer any questions or fly to investigate a crash scene.

What Are the Safest Trucking Companies? Trucking Company Safety Ratings

Safety in trucking companies is a crucial factor that involves more than just the driver. It extends to the equipment, the technicians who maintain it, and the support team. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has safety compliance and enforcement programs in place known as Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA). You can check a company’s safety rating on the SAFER website.

According to a recent article by FreightWaves, the top 5 safest trucking companies in North America are:

  1. Roehl Transport
  2. Bison Transport
  3. FedEx Custom Critical
  4. FTC Transportation, Inc.
  5. RedGuard

Please note that safety ratings can change over time, and it’s always a good idea to check the most recent data. Also, remember that just because a company says they’re safe, it doesn’t always mean they are. It’s important to find out about the company’s safety training, preventative maintenance, and support for drivers.

During legal matters with trucking companies, a truck accident lawyer from Fried Goldberg will take into consideration all of this data when investigating on your behalf.

What Trucking Company Has the Most Accidents? Trucking Company Safety Scores

According to the data from various sources, the trucking companies with the most accidents are as follows:

  • UPS: UPS encountered a staggering 2,632 collisions, causing 950 injuries and 56 fatalities. In the two-year period concluding on December 30, 2022, UPS recorded 2,845 accidents. UPS had 67 fatal accidents and 1,053 injury accidents from April 2020–April 2022.
  • FedEx Ground: FedEx Ground experienced 401 accidents, with 146 injuries and 9 fatalities. FedEx Ground had 80 fatal truck accidents from April 2020–April 2022, the highest in the nation. The company also had 911 reported injury accidents. In the two-year period concluding on December 30, 2022, FedEx Ground reported 2,781 accidents.
  • Werner Enterprises: Werner Enterprises recorded 983 accidents, resulting in 306 injuries and 24 deaths. Werner Enterprises had 274 injury accidents.
  • Averitt Express: Averitt Express reported 412 accidents, leading to 130 injuries and 8 fatalities. Averitt Express had a fatal truck accident rate of .022 per million vehicle miles traveled from April 2020–April 2022, the highest in the U.S.
  • U.S. Xpress: U.S. Xpress reported 595 accidents over a recent 24-month period.

Please note that determining which trucking company has the most accidents is more complex than it sounds. That’s because there are a variety of factors you must consider to determine this accurately. These factors include the average number of drivers on the road, the drivers’ experience, the total miles driven per year, and the severity of the accidents. 

For example, statistically speaking, trucking companies with a more significant number of trucks on the road (i.e., the size of the trucking company) will probably have more accidents by number but not necessarily by percentage. 

These numbers in their context may be very important during a truck accident lawsuit. You will need an experienced attorney who is knowledgeable about the trucking industry to secure the best outcome for your family.

This List Is Not All-Inclusive

While these select brands represent some of the nation’s largest trucking companies, they hardly account for all — or even most — of the trucks on the road. The deaths tallied in the above map are a fraction of the accidents reported each year from accidents involving commercial trucks and tractor trailers for all types and classes. The bulk of the injuries and loss of life were occupants of another vehicle, not the truck.

The companies listed here are not necessarily the most dangerous ones on the road. The number of miles traveled and accidents logged, and the severity of those accidents, varies wildly between companies.

The truck accident attorneys at Fried Goldberg believe these statistics offer a snapshot of how the government tallies the safety history of large trucking companies. They offer a glimpse into how many accidents involve companies you know by name, and how many motorists die or may lose their lives each year in those accidents.

If you have been involved in an accident and are seeking a lawyer who understands the complex matter of litigating a truck accident case, call us right away for a private and confidential consultation. We can be reached at 877-591-1801, or use our online contact form to start down the road towards justice today.

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