Chicagoland covers a vast urban area, involving a number of counties and by some definitions, three different states. Amidst all this metropolitan hubbub roll an astonishing number of commercial trucks. Some sharing our traffic lanes are work trucks serving the special needs of construction sites and industrial facilities.
However, most of the big trucks moving through the greater Chicago metro area are 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, or tractor-trailers. These large trucks, being bigger and heavier than most motor vehicles, pose a much greater risk of severe or fatal accidents in the event of a truck crash.
Why is this happening? Chicago is a major transportation hub not just for the nation but for the world. Our daily freight and cargo movements have a global impact. Moving freight at this volume requires these huge trucks. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning monitors the inter-workings of our trucking industry in tandem with our six Class I railroads; two major airports; and major port facilities within the Illinois International Port District.
The 18-wheeler is designed for this kind of long-haul transportation of goods and cargo. These trucks are extremely powerful, with engines capable of rumbling along interstates smoothly with a full load up to 80,000 pounds.
The result? Chicago and big rigs go together. Our magnificent, world-impacting economy cannot operate without them. It is a bittersweet reality, however, since this also means we all face a greater danger of a fatal semi-truck crash here in Chicagoland.
For more, read “Why Chicago is the best city for trucking?” published by AGM Transport, Inc. on December 13, 2021.
18-Wheelers in Chicagoland
For safety agencies and advocates for truck accident victims and their families, “18-wheelers” include all sorts of commercial vehicles that have a total of eighteen wheels, hence the name.
What is an 18-Wheeler?
The “18-wheeler” truck will have a tractor for hauling goods or freight. The tractor has the engine; it usually has six wheels. It pulls the trailer. The trailer has three axles each with four wheels, for a total of twelve wheels on the trailer. Linked together and moving on our Chicago traffic lanes, these behemoths have a total of 18 wheels – all of which are needed to perform the job of heavy-duty freight transport.
These big rigs will cover 70-80 feet in length once they are connected. If the truck driver is operating a sleeper cab, built to allow the trucker to sleep comfortably overnight in the rig, that alone may take up 20 feet in length. They are easily the biggest motor vehicle on most Chicago roadways on any given day.
There are different types of 18-wheelers, too. There are those designed for specific loads, like tanker-trailers and flat-bed trailers. Intermodal containers are commonplace here, as shipping containers are hauled by trucks from ships or trains to their destination without the need to transfer or reload the cargo. See, “Intermodal transportation: What is it and how does it work?” published by Maersk on September 6, 2024.
The size alone of these big trucks brings special risks for anyone operating the vehicle as well as those sharing the roads with them. Combine their weight when fully loaded, and the variety of dangers coming with various cargo loads, and the danger of a catastrophic result upon impact at even low speeds is obviously very high.
Uses of 18-Wheelers on Chicago Roadways
Here in Chicagoland, these big trucks work to move within our logistics industry, connecting rail, air, and port freight with trailers containing things like:
- General freight (think basic manufactured goods and retail products to be sold at stores);
- Agricultural products (fresh fruits and vegetables; meats; seafood; packaged goods);
- Hazardous materials (toxins; various chemicals; gasoline; etc.);
- Industrial materials (metals, steel, or minerals needed at construction and steel worksites); and
- Recycling or disposal (waste, scrap).
Any 18-wheeler accident can be horrific in its harm, of course. When the load involves things that come with their own dangers, especially when hazardous materials are its cargo, then 18-wheeler accidents in Chicagoland are particularly tragic and often involve multiple fatalities.
For more, read: Haz Mat Semi-Truck Accidents in Indiana and Illinois: The Dangers of Hazardous Materials Being Hauled on our Roadways; and Illinois and Indiana: Both Top 10 States for Most Truck Crash Fatalities.
Common 18-Wheeler Routes in Chicagoland
Given the dangers accompanying any distance being driven alongside or near 18-wheelers in the Chicago area, it is important to be aware of some of the most likely routes that we will encounter 18-wheeler traffic.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has designed and designated specific truck routes here, since these roadways are designed to bear the heavy weight of daily semi-truck freight traffic. They include:
- I-55 (connects Chicago to Louisiana);
- I-80 (one of the three coast-to-coast interstates, runs through Chicago);
- I-90, I-94: (includes Jane Addams Memorial Tollway; Chicago Skyway; Kennedy Expressway; Dan Ryan Expressway);
- I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway); and
- Tri-State Tollway.
Understanding the risk of choosing these known truck routes is important for Chicago drivers. The choice to take an alternative route might be a lifesaver.
Rising Danger of Severe Tractor-Trailer Truck Accidents in Chicago Area
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, tractor-trailer trucks in our part of the country have a greater likelihood of being involved in a serious or fatal accident, with 2022 data confirming there were 11,922 crashes involving tractor-trailer trucks and a warning that “…fatalities resulting from tractor-trailer crashes increased by 31.4% from 2021.” Read, 2022 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics published by the Illinois Department of Transportation, page 42.
These huge motor vehicles come with significant risks of deadly harm in any collision because of their size and weight, often combined with traveling at a high speed which increases the kinetic energy of impact. For anyone driving in the Chicago area, the need to be alert and aware of the unique risks they face simply by being in traffic with an 18-wheeler or semi-truck is great.
Statistics confirm that the danger of fatal tractor-trailer crashes in the State of Illinois is rising. Sadly, there will be preventable accidents that cost the lives of one or more semi-truck crash victims in Chicagoland.
For accident victims and their families, there are avenues for justice under state law and court case precedent that may provide monetary compensation for harms suffered by the victim and their loved ones.
For more, read:
- Why Are There So Many Serious or Fatal Semi-Truck Accidents in Chicagoland?
- Black Box Data in Serious or Deadly Semi-Truck Crashes
- Chicago Truck Accidents: Liability after Serious Chicagoland Semi-Truck Crash.
In Chicago, the danger of 18-wheeler accidents is especially high. The volume of our local semi-truck traffic is extraordinary. And more and more tractor-trailer accidents are happening here, according to researchers. Please be careful out there!
