A spate of traffic-snarling crashes has shown the many problems facing truckers on today's roads
Their names -- jackknife and rollover -- sound like graceful acrobatic moves.
But four times in the last six weeks, a truck crash has crippled a major state highway here, leaving a mass of twisted metal that has paralyzed traffic for miles.
Trucks hauling sugar, propane, liquid methane, and construction equipment have overturned on Interstate 93 in Dorchester, smashed over a guardrail on Route 24 in Brockton, tumbled over on Interstate 90 in Hopkinton, and obliterated part of a bridge on Route 128 in Dedham.
While the causes behind these recent accidents vary, some troubling trends demonstrate how truck accidents have become an indelible part of driving in Massachusetts.
Interviews with truck drivers, state and federal officials, and trucking industry executives indicate that highways are filling with more trucks than ever. At the same time, the training necessary for truckers to earn a commercial driver's license is often no match for the real rigors of the road, such as aggressive rush-hour drivers, sleep deprivation, and the steep, narrow on- and off ramps so common on Massachusetts highways.
And the region lacks many of the truck routes designated by other states to help separate trucks and workaday commuters.
