Coal Trucks Gone Wild

Coal trucks in Appalachia - the legal weight limit in KY and WV is 120,000 lbs. on designated state coal haul roads - however the legal weight limit for federal interstate highways is only 85,000 lbs.

Coal truckers work very long hours - some even work 14 hours per day. Drivers are fatigued but they are paid by the ton, so there is an incentive to haul very heavy loads. The excess weight makes them top-heavy and slow. They also have increased stopping distance, and they are hard to control. I have seen coal trucks on US 119 between Williamson KY and Pikeville going up a grade as slow as 10 mph where the speed limit is 55. This can cause rear-end collisions.

These factors, including unsafe behavior by cars around the trucks has caused many tragic deaths and serious injuries in KY, WV, PA etc. In the video, family members hold pictures of loved ones killed by coal trucks.

Coal trucks are designed by the manufacturer to run at a maximum of 135,000 lbs. When overloaded, components fail and sometimes the wheels even fall off. There have been many accidents due to brake failures on steep mine roads.

Everyone should be careful when driving around coal trucks. For more information, see the 30-min. Appalshop documentary film "Coal Bucket Outlaw."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Coal
• trucks
• mining
• mountaintop removal
• Kentucky
• West Virginia

[davidhowellcpa]

I was there and saw the accident that is pictured at the 20 second mark. It is a day I will never forget as the driver of the car was killed in front of me. The accident was absolutely not the fault of the coal truck driver.

[mountainjustice]

@davidhowellcpa - Yes, all motorists need to exercise great caution around coal trucks - especially the trucks that are tailgating and speeding and hanging over the yellow lines 

[lawbreaker71]

yes dumb ass mountain justice, i own two rock haulers in colorado and every single day is a nightmare of dipshits like you stopin short, cutting me off or not paying atten. go eat sum granola, hump sum bark, and lick sum frogs, you sandal wearin,subaru drivin,obama lovin, responsability avoiding son of a bitch.

[mountainjustice]

@lawbreaker71

October 20, 2011

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Raleigh County man was charged with driving under the influence of narcotics Thursday night after police said he veered his coal truck into the path of another coal truck along Cabin Creek Road.

Joseph Dean Webb, 36, was charged with DUI, DUI causing injury, reckless driving and driving left of center.

Kanawha County Metro 911 dispatchers said the two coal trucks collided head on near 1128 Cabin Creek Road at about 3:15 p.m.

[knighttankrider]

How many of them wrecks where caused by the cars. You dummy in the cars think truck slow truck can stop fast we are 80000 lb. respect the rigs.

[mountainjustice]

@knighttankrider - But the coal trucks aren't at 80,000 lbs, thats the problem. There is a "special exemption" for coal trucks in KY and WV that allows them to haul up to 126,000 lbs on our steep, narrow mountain roads. If that wasnt bad enough, they also routinely haul illegally overweight - coal trucks have been weighed at over 200,000 lbs.

[04mxz440]

of course you never think its the cars fault, the stupid fucking person who will do whatever it takes to get in front of the big slow transport truck, shut the fuck uo and stop blaming it on the drivers, try running one of these rigs and maybe youll change your mind on these acccidents

[iceman37819]

i run these roads everyday hauling fuel. What your not told is that in studies with trucks and cars involved in a wreck over 70% of the accidents are caused by the car.

[vlasktom]

@mountainjustice 80,000 lbs, 126,000 lbs, 200,000 lbs. it doesn't matter how much the truck weighs. it weighs a whole hell of a lot more then your 3,000 lb 4-wheeler. trucks are only as dangerous as the car that cuts them off, or tries to go under the trailer (as seen in The Fast and the Furious). Yes, truckers can be at fault too, but most of the time it's the 4-wheeler's fault.

[bigtallguyzack]

@mountainjustice who cares what theyre doing with weight...stay the fuck clear of them bc they will kill the shit out of you. its pricks like you that think the road was made for you to run around on and commercial trucks are in your way...the car youre in honking at truck drivers was hauled in on a truck. respect is a virtue lost on your kind as well as common fucking sense. L2 science

[GDCTT]

@lawbreaker71 how does "obama lovin" fit into this? haven't these acccidents been going on for decades?

[chooperXmane]

i never new there was a web war about semi's

[mountainjustice]

@lawbreaker71 - Please read the "more info" narrative that accompanies the video. It specifically asks drivers to exercise great caution around coal trucks because they are sometimes illegally overweight and hard to control. In Kentucky coal haulers have been stopped weighing over 200,000 lbs. Many accidents and fatalities have resulted and mothers have lost their children.

Lawbreaker71, you seem to be very proud of violating public safety laws. How much does your truck weigh?