August 5, 2025
Widespread trucking industry practices are making American highways more dangerous due to increased risks of truck accidents. One such practice is “detention,” the term used when truck drivers are forced to wait — often for hours — to pick up or drop off cargo due to delays at loading docks or warehouses.
These wait times create a ripple effect. Once back on the road, drivers often speed, skip rest breaks, or engage in risky multitasking behind the wheel to make up for lost time. The result: preventable trucking accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
In the trucking industry, “detention time” refers to the period a driver spends waiting — unpaid — at a shipping or receiving facility. While it might sound harmless, the consequences are significant.
Research from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that for every 15-minute increase in detention time, the likelihood of a crash rises by 6.2%. A related study by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) showed that detained drivers tend to drive 14.6% faster on average than their peers.
These rushed conditions contribute to a perfect storm of risk factors: speeding, fatigue, and distracted driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), excessive speed and driver fatigue are leading causes of fatal truck-involved collisions. Distractions — particularly from cell phone use — are another major concern.
NHTSA reports that over 3,000 people die each year from distracted driving alone. In commercial trucking, those numbers can be even more devastating due to the sheer size of the vehicles involved. Large commercial trucks are significantly more dangerous than passenger vehicles because of their sheer size and weight. A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, compared to just over 4,000 pounds for the average car. This means that trucks require much longer distances to stop and can cause far more damage in a collision. When a large truck crashes into a smaller vehicle, the occupants of the passenger car are far more likely to suffer serious or fatal injuries.
Fatigue and time pressure create conditions that make truck drivers more likely to engage in distractions — such as texting, adjusting navigation systems, or taking calls while driving.
A Teletrac Navman survey found that 70% of businesses reported truck accident incidents linked to distracted driving. Of those, 68% pointed to cell phone use as the primary culprit.
Distractions can include:
As NHTSA puts it: “Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
While truck detention may seem like a logistics issue, its consequences extend far beyond warehouses and delivery schedules. When trucking companies tolerate or fail to mitigate excessive wait times, they are contributing to unsafe driving conditions that endanger everyone on the road and lead to truck accidents. Truck crash lawsuits are one of the primary ways that negligent transportation companies can be held accountable.
Addressing detention practices isn’t just about improving efficiency — it’s about saving lives.
How We Help Victims of Truck Accidents
If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident, contact the experienced truck accidents lawyers at Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel today. We understand the ins and outs of these difficult matters, and we are prepared to provide swift and effective counsel for your case and help you get the results you deserve. Contact our experienced trucking accident lawyers now to see if you have a case.
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