Do truck drivers feel pressured to speed?

You and other responsible motorists in Houston likely understand that speed limits are posted on local roads for two reasons: they help keep vehicles traveling at speeds which are unlikely to cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles, and to limit the potential for damage if a collision between cars does occur. If you can comprehend that, you would expect that one who drives professionally (such as a truck driver) would certainly appreciate that fact. Yet excessive speed routinely ranks among the most common reasons why truck accidents occur. 

You might view a speeding truck driver as the ultimate sign of carelessness, yet have you considered why such a driver (knowing both the quick maneuvering limitations as well as the destructive potential of their vehicle) would choose to speed? Could it be that they feel compelled to do so? 

Like you and other working professionals, truckers are judged on their performance. Meeting employer expectations comes into play when making such judgments. If an employer expects a delivery route to be completed within a certain amount of time, a driver is judged against that expectation. Truck companies may feel the need to set ambitious expectations in order to satisfy customers. Yet the law prohibits them from making those expectations unrealistic. Indeed, Section 392.6 of the Code of Federal Regulations states that a motor carrier cannot set route times that would require a driver to drive about the posted speed limits along that route in order to meet them. 

What if a driver feels pressured by their employer to speed through a route? You may argue that the employer should share in the liability if you are involved in an accident caused by that driver.