Here in our part of the country, there are many more large commercial trucks (think big rigs; semis; tractor-trailers; tankers; reefers; 18-wheelers; etc.) sharing our roadways than in most other states. Forty other states, to be exact, since Indiana ranks as the tenth most traveled state for freight trucks. See, “Top 10 Largest States in the U.S. for Trucking,” written by Arielle Patterson and published by Commercial Truck Trader on March 23, 2025.
The contribution of the Hoosier State to our national transportation system (even the global cargo transport network) is extraordinarily important. Consider the following:
- Indiana provides special trucking routes for very, very heavy trucks on its Extra Heavy Duty Highways. Trucks on these routes can weigh as much as 134,000 pounds (67 tons), moving through places like St. Joseph County and LaPorte County in Northwest Indiana.
- Indiana is home to “…the most critical highway portions of the U.S. freight transportation system” according to the Federal Highway Administration, where large trucks move through here along the national Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS).
- Indiana is forecast to experience a huge increase in large commercial truck traffic, with as much as a 90% increase in freight value and 52% by weight within the next two decades.
Read, Extra Heavy Duty Highways in Northwest Indiana and Risk of Truck Accidents; and Huge and Growing Freight Truck Traffic in Northern Indiana: Increasing Danger of Semi-Truck Crashes.
Accordingly, safety organizations and advocates for truck crash victims and their loved ones have serious concerns over the need for those with possession, custody, or control of aspects of the trucking industry to prioritize safety on Indiana roads in order to minimize the risk of a severe or fatal semi-truck crash.
Trucking Companies Operating in Indiana
A number of Indiana trucking companies have been in business here in the Hoosier State for many years, offering a variety of services (long haul; short haul; distribution; transloading; border crossing; rail intermodal; etc.) with fleets composed of all kinds of trucks (flatbeds; drop decks; heavy haulers; semis; refrigerated trucks; etc.). They include:
- Blue Ribbon Transportation
- Buchanan Hauling
- Daum R Douglas Trucking
- Ed Burns and Sons Trucking
- Frailey and Schilling Inc.
- Harvey Trucking Services, Inc.
- Hogan Transport
- Knight Transportation
- Landstar Inway Inc.
- Metzger Trucking
- Rowe Transport Inc.
- Sodrel Truck Lines
- Superior Carriers Inc.
- Trans-United Inc.
- Venture Logistics Inc.
See, “The Big List Of All Indiana Trucking Companies,” published by America’s Driving Force.
Some Indiana trucking companies are responsible for an amazing number of trucks. And there are national companies moving through Indiana, like FedEx or Pepsi which have huge fleets: FedEx Freight is reported to operate over 30,000 trucks. PepsiCo is purported to have over 8,000 tractors; 12,000 trailers; and around 15,000 straight trucks in its fleet. And, of course, there are all those semis rumbling through here for big corporations like WalMart or Sysco. Read, “The Largest Fleets in America,” published by FleetTrax.
What is a Motor Carrier?
A carrier, or asset carrier, is a business generating its revenue by moving a shipment of goods, cargo, or freight from a starting point to a destination point through the use of its large trucks. Technically, carriers range from the largest trucking corporation to the independent truck driver with his own large truck working as an owner-operator.
From the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association:
A motor carrier operates commercial motor vehicles (CMV’s) to transport property, passengers, or hazardous materials (HAZMAT) and is involved in commerce (transportation related to a business). It could be a company with several power units, or it could be an owner-operator.
What is an Owner-Operator?
An owner-operator is a business run by a truck driver who owns and operates their own commercial vehicles. Industry estimates are that nationally, there are around 716,704 owner-operators with a great majority (82%) likely to be working for private companies. See, “Owner/Operator demographics and statistics in the US,” published by Zippia.
Owner-operators are not employees on the payroll of a company (think PepsiCo, etc.) but work as independent contractors in the transportation of freight or cargo. They may contract with shippers directly. They may contract with freight brokers; retailers; etc. to move goods.
Owner-operators may own one rig or several. They are responsible for all aspects of their trucks, from upkeep and maintenance, to getting the needed legal permits and paying for the fuel and the insurance.
Truck Crash Liability: Trucking Companies and Owner-Operators
In any semi-truck accident here in the Hoosier State, determining the reasons for the crash will be a complicated task. Often, it will take weeks or even months for the experts to gather all the necessary data and render their opinions. And there will be several, simultaneous investigations: from law enforcement, to insurance adjusters, to federal regulators or agency specialists, to the accident reconstruction experts and legal advocates working on behalf of the truck crash victims and their loved ones.
Expert analysis of things like black boxes contained within the motor vehicles involved in the accident, as well as witness statements and dashcams or nearby security cameras, may find that one or more factors came together to cause the truck crash. See, Black Box Data in Serious or Deadly Semi-Truck Crashes; and Accident Reconstruction Experts and Injury Claims.
Ownership of the truck involved in the truck crash plays a significant role in these considerations. Both ownership of the component with the engine (the tractor) as well as the component with the cargo (the trailer or tank, etc.).
Trucking Company with Employee Truck Driver
If the accident involves a large truck driven by a trucker employed by a trucking company, the trucker may be found to be negligent but the company may also be liable, as long as the truck driver was operating in the course and scope of employment. Read, Semi-Truck Crashes: Who Can Be Held Legally Responsible for Commercial Trucking Accidents in Indiana and Illinois? and Course and Scope of Employment: Industrial Accidents in Illinois and Indiana.
Owner-Operator Truck Driver
If the truck crash involves an owner-operator at the wheel, then the trucker may be legally accountable for the truck and for having proper insurance coverage. Owner-operator duties include making sure the rig is in a reasonable and proper condition to operate and transport the load before it drives off from its starting point.
However, any trucking company that hired that owner-operator may also be legally liable if they are found to be negligent in hiring, training, or supervision of that truck driver or if their company policies (think pushing deadlines) contributed to the crash.
If the cargo was improperly loaded or if the freight was improperly secured on the truck, then the trucking company may also have legal liability even if they sought to minimize their risk by hiring an independent contractor instead of hiring their own truck driver employees. Violations of federal regulations by the trucking company contracting with the owner-operator may establish legal recompense for the company, as well.
Key here is the extent of control the company exerts over the independent truck as an owner-operator. Things like branding of the rig with their company logo is just one fact that will push in favor of liability upon the company itself. See, Trucking Companies Liable for Semi-Truck Crashes in Indiana and Illinois.
Indiana Accident Victim Liability After Semi-Truck Crash
For truck accidents that happen within the State of Indiana, multiple parties (the truck driver owner-operator, the trucking company, other third parties) may be proven to be at fault. The accident victim and their loved ones will be tasked with finding admissible and authenticated evidence that proves up their claims that a duty of care was breached and caused them specific harm (their damages).
They will have time pressure, too; even the most meritorious accident claim will be barred as a matter of law if it is filed after the statutory deadline. Read, Deadlines for Injury Victims to File Lawsuits: Statutes of Limitations.
Indiana statutes and case law precedent play prominent roles in these accident claims, by defining the elements of the negligence, providing legal doctrines like respondeat superior, detailing mandatory insurance minimums, as well as imposing obligations on drivers to stop at the accident scene (leaving the scene of an accident is a crime under IC § 9-26-1-1.1).
Federal law comes into play, as well; for instance, advocates for victims will confirm if federal regulatory requirements for insurance coverage were also breached, as trucking companies must keep liability insurance policies in place at specific minimums, such as $750,000 for general freight as overseen by FMCSA.
For more on semi-truck crash accident 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
- What To Do After a Serious Semi-Truck Crash: The First 48 Hours
- What To Do After Serious Semi-Truck Crash: Weeks and Months Following the Accident.
The Indiana trucking industry is an impressive and important part of our economy, and truckers are to be respected for their contributions to our society, culture, and even our daily lives. Trucking is forecast to grow at a great rate here. When serious or deadly truck crashes happen, there are avenues for justice in place under Indiana law for the trucker as well as others who have been hurt or harmed in the truck crash. Please be careful out there!
