Millis Blog

Findings from a 2017 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety titled, Leveraging Large Truck Technology and Engineering to Realize Safety Gains, suggests that new technology is making the trucking industry a lot safer. Some of those innovations include advanced braking systems that decrease a truck’s stopping distance and systems that help to warn the driver if the truck begins to drift out of its lane. New advances can also determine when a crash is going to happen, implementing safety precautions, like braking, if the driver does not.

To find out just how cost-effective new advances in driving technology are for truck drivers, the AAA Foundation conducted their own study, comparing the cost to install the new technology against the benefits associated with the new systems. What they found is that the benefits of adding lane departure warning systems far outweigh the expense associated with installing them. Benefits of other technologies are predicted to outweigh the costs as well.

Some of the key findings indicate lane departure warning systems on large trucks could possibly prevent as many as 6,372 crashes, 1,342 injuries, and 115 deaths annually. It was also found that video-based onboard safety monitoring systems prevent an estimated 63,000 crashes, 17,733 injuries, and 293 deaths annually. Technology such as air disc brakes also assists in the prevention of another 2,411 crashes, 1,447 injuries and 37 deaths annually.

According to an online article in Trucks.Com, there is currently an estimated 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States. Of those, a number of large motor carriers have already starting equipping their trucks with advanced safety technologies, but many smaller fleets and independent drivers have not yet implemented it. Those who drive for Millis Transfer can rest assured their equipment is some of the best in the industry. We are one of the few setting the standard for safety in the business.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety works to prevent traffic fatalities and injuries by conducting research into what causes accidents and educating the public on accident prevention. To read more about these findings, the AAA Foundation has published a fact sheet on their research that can be accessed at their website or at this address.

About Millis Transfer

Millis Transfer, Getting It There Since 1936, has an impressive service record earning dozens of “Carrier of the Year” awards. Headquartered in Black River Falls, Wis., Millis is also a Certified Top Pay Carrier with some of the best equipment on the road. Maintenance facilities and drop yards are strategically located throughout the company’s operating area. Its sister company, Millis Training Institute, offers five school locations that provide students with quality training in order to earn their CDL-A license. For more information, please visit www.millistransfer.com, www.mtidriving.com or call 1-800-937-0880.