In the world of rental trucks, vigilant preventive maintenance (PM) is often touted as a leading factor in keeping trucks safe and reliable. But, in reality, just how safe are fleet rental trucks?
The answer is no longer open to speculation. According to exhaustive new federal research, it turns out rental
In a landmark study of fatal accidents involving commercial rental trucks—entitled The Rental Truck Safety Study Report to Congress—the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) looked at a dizzying amount of information from a seven year period ending in 2012. The bottom line results: commercial rental trucks proved safer and more reliable than non-rental trucks.
In coming to its conclusions, the project analyzed large databases of crash records maintained by government and academic sources, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). The FMCSA’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) was also used, as it’s generally considered the most in-depth collection of truck accident statistics.
Three striking findings
Three data points stood out prominently in the study:
- Non-rental fatalities dwarf rentals: Between 2005 and 2010, there were 145 fatal crashes involving commercial rental trucks. Comparatively, there were more than 10,000 fatal accidents involving non-rental trucks during the same period.
- No rental fatalities caused by vehicle failure: Incredibly, the FMCSA determined that not a single one of the 145 fatal accidents involving a rental truck was caused by a vehicle defect or failure. In each case, the cause was officially assigned to one of the drivers, the other vehicle, or the environment.
- Rentals prove more reliable than non-rentals: Over a seven year period, a mere 2.8 percent of commercial rental trucks were placed Out Of Service (OOS) by inspectors due to equipment problems, a miniscule amount compared to the nearly 23 percent of non-rental trucks that were placed OOS in that same timeframe.
The Rental Truck Safety Study Report to Congress is the brainchild of Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who was inspired to examine the issue of rental truck safety after a fatal accident involving a rental truck occurred in his home state.
He has opposed legislation to lift Hours of Service (HOS) restrictions that apply to truckers. He is also active with The Truck Safety Coalition, which advocates for safe trucking.
The federal study gathered data on trucks with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) between 10,000 and 26,000 lbs. across several major U.S. rental fleets. Researchers quantified rental truck safety by looking at data points that included not only fatalities, but also property damage, and lost productivity. It also evaluated the preventive maintenance (PM) practices of rental fleets, and analyzed state and local laws regulating rental truck inspection requirements.
In the end, the results have provided powerful validation of the unwavering focus on safety throughout the rental industry. The Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA), a fleet industry trade association, noted that the federal findings are a result of rigorous safety practices among commercial truck rental companies.
“TRALA members are annually responsible for up to 40% of the new trucks put into commercial service,” said TRALA President and CEO Tom James, “and they are, by definition, the newest, safest, cleanest, and most technologically advanced trucks on our nation’s highways.”
If you would like to read it, here is the full report to congress on the subject.
