The Top Mistakes Truck Drivers Make on Missouri Roads

Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash

Missouri’s roadways, including major arteries like I-70 and I-44, are critical transportation corridors that see high volumes of commercial truck traffic. While most truck drivers operate professionally and safely, the size and momentum of an 80,000-pound 18-wheeler mean that even a minor lapse in judgment can lead to a catastrophic accident.

When a collision involves a commercial vehicle, the resulting injuries—often including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, and fatality—are far more severe than those in a typical car-on-car accident. The vast majority of these tragic events can be traced back to preventable human error, which are the primary Missouri truck accident causes. Identifying the root cause of these crashes is the first step toward establishing liability and securing compensation for victims

Speed + Braking Distance Misjudgment

One of the most dangerous errors a truck driver can make is misjudging the monumental stopping distance required for a fully loaded tractor-trailer. Truckers often drive too fast for conditions, especially in heavy traffic, inclement weather, or on downslopes.

Physics dictates that an 18-wheeler needs significantly more distance and time to come to a stop than a passenger vehicle. At 65 mph, a commercial truck requires nearly two football fields of distance to stop safely. When a driver is speeding or following too closely, they eliminate this critical safety buffer, leading to devastating rear-end collisions when traffic slows abruptly. This often indicates reckless behavior or a complete disregard for safe distance rules.

Fatigue + Hours-of-Service Violations

Federal regulations strictly limit the amount of time a truck driver can spend behind the wheel in a given day and week (Hours-of-Service, or HOS rules). These rules are designed to combat driver fatigue, which is a major contributor to truck accidents. Driving while fatigued leads to slowed reaction times, poor decision-making, and even micro-sleeps, making the truck driver functionally impaired.

Unfortunately, due to pressure from carriers to meet tight delivery deadlines, some drivers falsify their logbooks or drive well past the legal limit. When a post-accident investigation reveals HOS violations, it provides compelling evidence of negligence on the part of the driver and potentially the trucking company that encouraged or ignored the violation.

Blind Spots + Improper Lane Changes

All large commercial trucks have massive blind spots, or “No-Zones,” on all four sides—especially along the right side and directly behind the cab. Truck drivers are trained to constantly check their mirrors and take extra precautions before changing lanes.

However, a leading cause of side-swipe and squeeze-play accidents on Missouri highways is the trucker’s failure to adequately check these blind spots or attempting an abrupt lane change without enough space. When a truck illegally merges or changes lanes, it can easily clip a passenger vehicle, sending it spinning into other traffic or even rolling over, often with fatal results. This negligent maneuver demonstrates a failure to operate the vehicle with the required extraordinary care.

Vehicle Maintenance Failures

While driver error is often the primary cause, accidents frequently stem from the failure of the trucking company or the driver to maintain the vehicle properly. Commercial vehicles must undergo regular, stringent maintenance checks, but corners are sometimes cut to save time and money.

Maintenance failures that commonly lead to accidents include:

• Brake failure: Worn-out brake pads or improperly adjusted brakes can mean the difference between stopping and a high-speed impact.
• Tire blowouts: Under-inflated or excessively worn tires can disintegrate at highway speeds, causing the driver to lose control.
• Lighting and signal malfunctions: Faulty or dirty lights make the truck invisible in bad weather or at night, leading to collisions.

When a mechanical failure causes a crash, the liability extends beyond the driver to the trucking company and potentially the maintenance provider for negligent upkeep.

Conclusion Preventable Mistakes = Liability

The severity of a truck accident injury means that the stakes are incredibly high for victims seeking full compensation. Establishing liability requires a detailed understanding of the specific errors commercial drivers make, ranging from speeding and fatigue to failing to maintain their equipment.

We’ve detailed the primary human errors—misjudging stopping distance, driving while fatigued, and failing to account for blind spots—and noted how these preventable mistakes establish clear negligence. Furthermore, we’ve covered how maintenance failures can shift liability to the trucking company itself.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a crash caused by these common mistakes, don’t face the trucking company alone. A specialized attorney can quickly deploy investigators to preserve the evidence necessary to prove the trucker’s negligence and hold all responsible parties accountable.