Ralph “Larry” Roberts purchased a truck to haul furniture in 1965 before being authorized to work with Mayflower Moving and Storage, where R & L Carriers was born. In the following years, the company began expanding after the deregulation of the trucking industry and the US Congressional enactment of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980. Now, the company delivers products and materials to all fifty states along with the Dominican Republic, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

Over the years, the company expanded by acquiring other trucking companies, including Gator Freightways, Inc., Greenwood Motor Lines, Inc., and Herder Truck Lines, Inc. In 2018, R+L Carriers generated an annual revenue of $1,580,000,000. The company’s 5800 truck drivers run 5632 trucks in Northern America. R & L Carriers does not transport hazardous material.

R+L Carriers is primarily a Truckload (LT) carrier, meaning the company delivers one truckload containing similar products, goods, and materials to multiple locations. This type of trucking is the opposite of an LTL (less than truckload) carrier with a mixed freight. R + L Carriers also provides truckload services, logistics services, value-added services, business-critical services, and technology services.

Common Causes of Semi-truck Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), crashes with large commercial trucks in the US cause catastrophic injuries to passenger vehicles because of:

• Aggressive Driving Behavior – Aggressive movements, including traveling at excessive speeds or reckless driving, could result in severe injuries of the wrongful death of innocent victims.
• Driving in the “No-Zone” – Tailgating behind a semi-tractor-trailer in a “no zone” creates limited or zero visibility of the truck driver who could stop abruptly causing an accident.
• Distracted Driving – Any distraction like speaking on a smartphone or sending text messages is prohibited by law and creates a dangerous scenario for everyone sharing the roadway.
• Driving under the Influence – If the truckers involved in an accident, law enforcement will often perform a test at the accident scene to determine if the truck driver consumed alcohol or took illegal drugs.
• Drowsy Driving – Truckers often work long hours under grueling conditions and erratic scheduling. A failure to get enough sleep before getting behind the wheel could cause catastrophic results.
• Improper Merging – All vehicles, including commercial vehicles, must properly merge into a lane of traffic without breaking quickly or unsafely maneuvering into the next lane.

Sometimes, the commercial vehicle driver will cause a crash because of their erratic movements or failure to ensure there was a substantial distance between their vehicle and those sharing the roadway. In these cases, judges and juries often find that the trucker and the trucking company is legally responsible for causing the crash and must pay all expenses and costs associated with the victim’s recovery or injuries.

R + L Carriers Accidents

R + L Carriers, like all commercial transportation companies in the trucking industry, must ensure that all their deliveries reach their destination on schedule. However, this increasing demand places a significant burden on truck drivers who must work long hours to ensure the shipment arrives on time. The increased burden typically results in hundreds of accidents for companies every year.