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Trucking companies often fail to follow regulations during usual circumstances, and the urge to take shortcuts is even more compelling when there are surges in business. The experienced California truck accident lawyers at The Law Offices of Preston Easley, APC represent accident victims in their lawsuits against trucking companies.
Businesses have attempted to time their imports into the United States to avoid both new and pending tariffs. The resulting surge has made things more difficult for port workers and trucking companies. Unfortunately, the response from trucking companies when they are involved in a surge period is to cut corners, placing your safety at risk.
If you have been injured in a truck accident, speak to an experienced attorney at The Law Offices of Preston Easley APC. We understand what is at stake for you and your family, and we resolve to undertake your legal representation with diligence and aggressiveness.
Importers Are Rushing to Bring Goods Into the United States
The uncertainty regarding the United States’ tariff policy has caused businesses to place a surge of orders now to beat what could be higher costs in the future. With tariffs threatened in the future, companies are racing to stock up now, so they would not have to pass increased costs on to their consumers or be forced to absorb them on their own. As a result, trucking companies have seen a massive uptick in volume to transport these goods from ports in the state to points elsewhere. Typically, when trucking companies see surges in their own volume, they tend to cut corners, both to maximize their own profits and ensure that they can meet their own customers’ needs in a timely fashion.
Jobs data from April 2025 showed that employment in the trucking sector surged. This increase coincided with an announcement from President Trump that he intended to impose reciprocal tariffs on every trading partner of the United States.
How Surges Lower Trucking Company Compliance
The tariff-fueled surge in trucking business may cause trucking companies to fail to comply with the rules in a number of ways, including:
- Pressuring fatigued drivers: Truck drivers are limited in the number of hours that they are able to operate their vehicles. Trucking companies could pressure the drivers to either ignore these rules, or to operate their vehicles late at night, so they can travel more miles.
- Dangerous driving habits: Individual truckers, under duress from their employers, may do things like eat while they are driving or speed because they want to maximize the distance they travel.
- Poor truck maintenance: Trucking companies may not want to pull a vehicle off the road for necessary maintenance because it would cost them money and leave them unable to fulfill delivery orders.
- Hiring inexperienced drivers: Because there is a rush to deliver, and trucking companies need operators, they may hire someone who lacks the ideal amount of experience. Trucking companies may opt for less-experienced drivers because they do not have to pay them as much.
When it comes to the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, surges can present even more difficulties because truckers need appointments to reach the terminals. There could be backlogs and instances in which truckers will lose a considerable amount of time while waiting to access terminals.
There Are Fewer Inspections to Monitor Compliance
The problem is that Trucking Company compliance is often backward-looking. The trucking company is usually counted on to police itself, and it often places its own financial interests ahead of your safety. The trucking company is primarily concerned with making deliveries and pickups on time to ensure its own customers’ satisfaction. In the process, the trucking company wants to make as much money as possible.
Unless the trucking company is subject to a surprise inspection (something that does not happen with frequency, and is occurring less often in 2025), it would only be known that they have broken a rule after the truck has caused an accident. It is up to the trucking company to take the necessary steps to comply with federal regulations to keep you safe. In periods of increased activity, you are more at risk. While you have the right and ability to file a truck accident lawsuit, it would only happen after you have suffered life-altering injuries in a crash with a commercial vehicle.
Contact a California Truck Accident Law Firm Today
If you have been injured in a crash involving a tractor-trailer, reach out to an experienced California truck accident attorney at The Law Offices of Preston Easley. The first step is to schedule a free case review, and you can do that by contacting us online or by calling us today at (310) 773-5207.
Preston Easley is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He served five years of active duty as a Naval officer — three years as a deck officer on a fast frigate and two years as a patrol boat skipper. Mr. Easley also served aboard a tank landing ship in the reserves. Learn more here.
