U.S. Xpress Spotlights Industry-Leading Initiatives in Safe Trucking Report

Expert insight and consumer sentiment highlight company’s road safety practices

U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. released a Safe Trucking Report which details a few of its industry-leading road safety practices including robust liability insurance, hair testing for drugs, and fleet-wide installation of event recorders, speed limiters and disc brakes. The report also incorporates industry best practices, commentary from safety and legal experts, and consumer sentiment from more than 2,000 U.S. adults on these important topics.

While not an exhaustive list of all safety programs and protocols deployed by U.S. Xpress, the report spotlights a few of the ways it’s leading the industry, including:

• Insurance Minimums – U.S. Xpress has maintained insurance above the Department of Transportation-required minimums for years to assure its drivers and those sharing the road are protected. But in such a large and fragmented industry, there are thousands of small carriers who are insuring at the bare minimum. 76% of adults agree or strongly agree the government should increase the minimum amount of liability insurance for trucking companies to $2 million.
• Hair Testing – The gold standard for drug testing is using a hair sample to analyze prohibited substances metabolized in the body over a longer period and across a wider range of substances than urine tests. U.S. Xpress requires a negative hair test result for all drivers upon hire. 71% of adults agree or strongly agree trucking companies should use hair testing rather than the less-reliable urine test.
• Event Recorders – U.S. Xpress installed these small video cameras fleet-wide in 2018, which begin recording when triggered by following too closely, a hard brake, speeding, roll stability, or lane departure. Footage can help determine accident causation and assist in the training of new drivers. 79% of adults agree or strongly agree trucking companies should be required to install video cameras on their trucks.
• Speed Limiters – The company’s entire fleet is equipped with this technology, which manages the speed of tractors, helping to reduce accidents and improve fuel efficiency. 74% of adults agree or strongly agree trucking companies should be required to install speed limiters on their trucks.
• Air Disc Brakes – U.S. Xpress was one of the first carriers in the nation to install air disc brakes on its tractors and trailers fleet-wide starting in 2016. A fully loaded, 80,000 tractor-trailer traveling 60 miles per hour can reduce stopping distance by approximately 20 feet when equipped with air disc brakes on all axels, rather than traditional drum brakes.

“Shippers entrust us with a huge responsibility and want to work with safety-conscious carriers who view the relationship between the parties as a true partnership,” said Nathan Harwell, Chief Legal Officer for U.S. Xpress. “Our customers are increasingly sophisticated and want a similarly sophisticated carrier partner.”

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