Old Dominion Freight Line (often referred to as simply Old Dominion) is a shipping and logistics company based in Thomasville, North Carolina. In 2019, based on yearly revenue, Logistics Management Magazine ranked the company second in the United States, trailing only behind FedEx.
The company currently owns nearly 10,000 vehicles and employs about 11,000 drivers. Old Dominion Freight Line offers service to both business and residential customers within the United States and internationally. The most recent registration information filed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shows that Old Dominion vehicles traveled approximately 825,250,000 miles in 2018.
In the 24-month period prior to February 28, 2020, Old Dominion Freight Line Vehicles were involved in 724 accidents. 493 of the crashes were severe enough that one or more vehicles had to be towed from the scene. 208 involved injuries to one or more people and 23 caused fatalities.
Old Dominion Freight Line Company Snapshot: What Types Of Trucks Are On The Road For Old Dominion?
Old Dominion Freight Line vehicles are authorized as for-hire vehicles for interstate shipping and logistics. Aside from general freight shipments, the company also handles building materials, paper products, construction equipment, liquids and gases, machinery and large objects, intermodal containers, chemicals, beverages, and farm supplies.
The latest data available from the FMCSA shows that Old Dominion’s fleet is made up of 36,704 trailers, 9,669 truck tractors, and 129 straight trucks.
How Safe Is Old Dominion Freight Line?
It’s virtually impossible to say if any particular trucking company is “safe”. The best we can do is look at data gathered by the regulating authorities and compare to see how one company’s safety record holds up against that of another. FMCSA data is made up of three basic types of information: crash reports, driver and vehicle inspection information, and records of violations that have been found.
In the two years prior to February 28, 2020, Dominion Freight Line was cited 684 times for unsafe driving violations. Among those violations, many were for dangerous behaviors like exceeding speed limits, violating lane restrictions, making improper lane changes, and following other vehicles too closely. Any of these violations could lead to disaster when you’re dealing with such large vehicles carrying immense weight.
Old Dominion drivers underwent 5,248 inspections during the same time period. They were cited with 166 hours of service compliance violations. Many violations had to do with failing to keep proper work and driving time records. There were also several violations issued for drivers exceeding the established limits for the time they can be on duty without rest, which can lead to dangerous fatigued driving situations.
There was only one citation given for drug and alcohol-related issues. The violation was for consuming an intoxicating beverage within four hours before operating a motor vehicle.
Twenty-one violations were issued regarding driver fitness. Those violations included drivers physically unfit to drive their vehicles, driving without a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL), and operating vehicles without the proper license endorsements, among others.
Old Dominion vehicles were inspected 3,330 times during the two-year span, resulting in 1,124 violations. Many violations were for inoperable lights on the vehicles, but some of the more serious problems found include things such as pressure loss in the brake system, leaking brake connections, flat or audibly leaking tires, excessively worn tires, and vehicles with 20% or more of the brake system defective.
We can extrapolate some basic (estimated) information about Old Dominion’s overall safety on the road with some quick math. If we multiply the 825,250,000 miles traveled in 2018 by two so that it represents a two year period and then divide by the 724 truck crashes reported in the last two years, it gives us an average of one motor vehicle accident for every 2,279,696 miles traveled by the company’s trucks.
With so many vehicles on the road, however, it doesn’t take long for Old Dominion trucks to rack up two and a quarter million miles. If we estimate based on the time frame rather than the distance, 724 crashes in two years averages out to a truck accident involving an Old Dominion Freight Line vehicle once every 24 hours.
If You Are In An Accident With An Old Dominion Freight Line Truck
Simply because of their size and weight compared to an average passenger vehicle, Old Dominion trucks can cause a tremendous amount of damage when they are involved in an accident—especially at highway speeds. There is little doubt that if you are in an accident with one of these roadway behemoths you’re going to be the one that suffers the most damage and injuries.
Accidents involving commercial trucks or tractor-trailers are not the same as a car crash between two private passenger vehicles. Truck drivers and trucking companies are held to a higher standard and must follow federal and state laws and regulations. That’s why a personal injury or wrongful death claim involving a commercial vehicle requires a personal injury attorney with specific experience with truck accidents and the trucking industry.
As experienced Philadelphia truck accident attorneys, Solnick & Associates can help. To learn more about how we can help you or schedule a free initial consultation, contact our firm today at 215-481-9979 or reach out online anytime.
