Lots of commercial trucks carrying all kinds of freight move through Indiana. In fact, there are a select group of highways here deemed “…the most critical highway portions of the U.S. freight transportation system” by the Federal Highway Administration, known as the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS).
These preeminent trucking routes run through Northern Indiana (map here). Statewide, they include I-69, I-74, I-90, and parts of I-65.
Not only is Indiana recognized as having some of the most important trucking highways in the country, it also has more trucking traffic on that route than most states. Indiana is considered a “high mileage state” for trucking, where its PHFS mileage is more than most on its special truck traffic roadways.
Accordingly, anyone driving along Indiana roadways needs to understand that here in the “Crossroads of America,” (1) they may be sharing lanes with semi-trucks on the country’s key freight routes; and (2) there is a huge volume of commercial truck traffic on these roadways that is much higher than in other parts of the country.
Indiana in Top 10 Trucking States; Huge Growth Forecasts
Among the fifty states, Indiana ranks 38th in size with 35,826 square miles of land as compared to the two biggest states in square miles Alaska (570,641) or Texas (261,242). This statistic helps to bring home how big trucking is here in the Hoosier State, where Indiana ranks among the Top 10 in trucking freight by volume (according to Department of Transportation data).
Why? Industrial insiders point to things like Indianapolis being a freight hub, as well as Fort Wayne’s access to the Canadian border and port traffic at the Port of Indiana and the Port of Gary. Read, “Top 10 Largest States in the U.S. for Trucking,” written by Arielle Patterson and published by Commercial Truck Trader on March 23, 2025.
And forecasts for growth in the Indiana trucking industry are bright. Hoosier drivers need to prepare for more and more commercial truck traffic here. The numbers are big. One nonprofit research group predicts the following (emphasis added):
From 2022 to 2050, freight moved annually in Indiana by trucks is expected to increase 90 percent in value (inflation-adjusted dollars) and 52 percent by weight.
What does this mean? Protecting against the known dangers of a serious or fatal truck crash in Indiana must be preeminent considerations for all those with responsibilities of keeping people safe on our roads. The more trucks, the greater the risk of injury or death, and all too often there are those that put profits over people with tragic results.
Five Known and Deadly Dangers for Truck Crashes Facing Indiana Roadways
For safety organizations, regulatory agencies, and advocates for accident victims and their loved ones, the realities of trucking accidents and the risks that cause them are not mysteries to be solved. Most truck crashes are caused by known dangers that result in preventable accidents. They include the following:
1. Dangerous Weather. Weather conditions in Indiana, especially our winter weather conditions, are known to be dangerous for trucks moving along our trucking routes. Snow, ice, sleet, rain, freezing fog, black ice, even high winds, can cause truck parts to fail (think tire blowouts) or truckers to lose control of rigs (like winds flipping tractor-trailers on the Indiana Toll Road). Read, Winter Weather Long Haul Trucking: Deadly Crash Dangers in Illinois and Indiana.
2. Failure to Properly Hire, Train, or Supervise Truck Drivers. Employers of those behind the wheel of these commercial trucks have a legal responsibility not only to find and hire proficient drivers for their trucks, but to make sure their drivers are properly trained on the specific rig and that they are properly supervised while on the job. Catastrophic truck accidents are all too often the sad result of an employer disregarding these basic duties. Read, Negligent Training of Truck Drivers as Basis for Truck Crash Injury Claim.
3. Tired or Fatigued Truckers. Federal regulations protect truck drivers against fatigue on the job with specific Hours of Service (HOS) rules. Nevertheless, truckers may be prodded or pushed to meet a deadline despite being tired or sleepy – or they may be forced to keep driving because of a notorious lack of truck parking for these big rigs. Fatigue is dangerous for any driver, but especially for a trucker, and a deadly crash can result. Read, Truckers Can Use Exception to HOS Rules If Threatened with Violent Crime; Dangerous Truck Parking Crisis: Truckers Demand Federal Action; and Sleepy, Tired, Fatigued, Exhausted Drivers: Brain Function and Motor Vehicle Accidents.
4. Defective Parts or Vehicle Failures. Both the commercial trucks on Indiana roadways as well as all the 4-wheelers sharing the roads with them are vulnerable to failures in upkeep, repair, and maintenance, as well as flaws in design or recalls. Tractors and trailers must be inspected prior to starting on a route and a wise trucker will periodically check the rig during a trip (especially a heavy hauler). There are those with duties to make sure these vehicles are safe to drive, and if they breach those duties, then people may perish in an avoidable accident. See, Tire Failure and Fatal Crashes in Indiana and Illinois: the Legal Duty of Tire Maintenance; and Preventing Brake Failure Accident Fatalities in Semi-Trucks: Brake Safety Week in Indiana and Illinois.
5. 4-Wheelers: Aggressive Driving, Blind Spot Accidents. Sadly, many drivers on Indiana roadways may not fully understand the danger that comes with simply sharing a traffic path with a huge freight-carrying commercial truck. They cannot stop as fast as other vehicles. They cannot see the road like sedans or SUVs; truckers often have special sensors and cameras to help with road perception and blind spots. Traveling too close behind a big rig may result in a horrific underride or rear-end crash. Read, Blind Spots and Fatal Semi-Truck Accidents; and Dangers of Aggressive Driving: Following Too Close Behind.
Claims for Justice After Fatal Indiana Semi-Truck Crashes
There are laws here in Indiana providing avenues for justice to those who have been injured or killed in a semi-truck crash or tractor-trailer accident. Truck drivers, rig occupants, as well as victims suffering in other motor vehicles or as pedestrians or motorcyclists all may have legal claims of redress.
Each situation deserves individual investigation and respect. Legal claims may be based upon things like workers’ compensation, wrongful death, joint negligence, reckless conduct, negligent supervision, defective products, defective design, and more.
After accident reconstruction experts acting on behalf of the victim have completed their work, there may be a revelation of more than one defendant who is responsible under the law. This is particularly true in semi-truck, 18-wheeler, tractor-trailer, and big rig accidents. Read, Black Box Data in Semi-Truck Crashes: The Importance of EDR Evidence.
Truck crash victims and their loved ones may seek justice from parties that include not only motor carriers and trucking companies, but shippers, suppliers, manufacturers, repair and maintenance companies, property owners, premises operators, drivers, and others whose actions in failing to meet their duties of care have contributed to the crash and its resulting harm. See, Semi-Truck Crashes: Who Can Be Held Legally Responsible for Commercial Trucking Accidents in Indiana and Illinois? and Liability for Chicago Semi-Truck Crashes Other Than the Trucker or the Carrier.
Damages sought can include medical expenses, surgery costs, therapy and rehabilitation expenses (past and future), lost wages, lost future earning capacity, pain and suffering, and more. Read, Truck Driver Hurt on the Job: Trucker Injuries in Chicago Semi-Truck Crash; and 10 Types of Injury Damages That May Be Awarded to Accident Victims.
For more on Indiana trucking accidents and truck crash claims, read:
- Indiana Toll Road: Truck Crash Dangers in Northern Indiana
- Semi-Truck Crashes in La Porte County, Indiana
- Semi-Truck Crashes in St. Joseph County, Indiana
- Fatal Car Accident and Deadly Truck Crash Investigations: What is Expectancy Violation?
- Accident Reconstruction Experts and Injury Claims.
More and more large commercial trucks will be driving on Indiana roads in the coming years. The risk of a serious or deadly truck crash will correspondingly increase. Please be careful out there!
