Characteristics of motor carriers of hazardous materials

Abstract

This paper investigates whether trucking firms that haul hazardous materials differ from firms who do not haul these goods. It employs a database of 75,000 federal government safety audits of United States motor carriers. We find that hazardous materials firms are five times larger, in terms of annual fleet miles, than non-hazardous materials haulers, and are more likely to be general commodity carriers. Based on Poisson regression analysis, firms that carry hazardous materials exclusively have an accident rate 11 % higher than comparable firms that do not carry these commodities, and a rate of fatalities and serious injuries that is 22 % higher. Firms that carry hazardous materials in combination with general freight, have an accident rate that is 18 % higher and a fatality and injury rate that is 24 % higher. Among hazardous materials carriers, accident rates decline with firm size. Private carriers are safer than for-hire carriers. Haulers of gases in packages and liquids in tanks have the highest accident rates. Carriers of hazardous wastes have the lowest accident rates. Firms classified as "unsatisfactory " in safety audits by the federal government have an accident rate 50 % worse than other firms, though these accidents do not result in a higher incidence of fatalities and injuries. 1.

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