What Is Bobtailing and Why Could It Cause a Truck Accident?
Commercial trucks are difficult to drive, which means truck drivers must concentrate to avoid causing accidents. These vehicles are huge and heavy, and many of them come in two parts: the tractor and the trailer. Sometimes, truckers drive trucks without trailers attached in a practice known as bobtailing. This practice makes handling a truck even more challenging than usual.
What Does It Mean to Drive a Bobtail Truck?
Driving a bobtail truck, or bobtailing, means driving a semi-truck without pulling a trailer behind it. Bobtailing does not happen frequently. Trucking companies avoid it because they do not make money when their trucks are not transporting goods. Sometimes, however, a driver might not have anything to haul to a particular location when they are en route to pick up a load. In these instances, driving a bobtail truck might be necessary.
How Driving Bobtail Differs from Pulling a Trailer
Commercial tractors are designed to tow trailers. As a result, a bobtail tractor’s handling differs significantly from a full tractor-trailer rig. Key differences include:
- Weight – Bobtails weigh significantly less since they are not loaded with cargo. Without the downforce from a heavy trailer, bobtail rigs are lighter and less stable.
- Balance – The weight of a trailer adds stability and counterbalances the truck against swaying or tipping. Without a trailer, a bobtail truck tends to handle less predictably.
- Braking – Bobtails require more gentle braking since they are so much lighter. Truck drivers are more likely to over-brake without the drag of a heavy trailer. That can lead to locked-up brakes and loss of control.
These variations make bobtails more challenging to operate safely. Truckers can cause bobtail truck accidents if they lack the necessary training and experience to adapt to the differences in handling.
Accident Risks Associated with Bobtailing
Several inherent risks associated with operating bobtail tractors can lead to truck accidents, including the following:
- Loss of control – A bobtail’s light back end and uneven weight distribution can increase swaying and fishtailing risks, making loss-of-control accidents more likely.
- Rollovers – Bobtails are more prone to rollover crashes due to their higher centers of gravity and lack of stabilizing trailer weight.
- Unfamiliar handling – Drivers used to pulling loaded trailers might accidentally react inappropriately to the differences in braking distance, acceleration, and turning radius.
- Oversteering hazards – Attempting sharp turns at high speeds can cause bobtails to spin out.
Talk to Our Experienced Greensboro Personal Injury Lawyers Today
If you suffered injuries in a bobtail truck accident, our knowledgeable attorneys can investigate the circumstances and identify all liable parties. Then, we can pursue all possible sources of compensation for the harm you suffered.
You could be entitled to compensation for losses such as medical expenses, lost income, and more if you were hurt in a Greensboro truck crash that was someone else’s fault. The compassionate Greensboro truck accident attorneys at Ward Black Law have the experience and skills to fight for the maximum recovery you deserve.
Contact us today for a free case review to learn more about how we can help you.