U.S. oil production has experienced explosive growth over the past decade,
largely due to drilling in the Permian Basin. Although the growth of crude oil
production in the U.S. has had a stabilizing influence on the world’s oil
markets, it has also created risks associated with tanker trucks for people traveling on smaller highways in rural New Mexico and Texas
communities. Traffic is congested and accidents occur more frequently on routes
to and from the Permian Basin.
Transportation Needs in the Permian Basin
By the end of 2018, thanks to hydraulic fracturing, the Permian Basin was
producing 3.8 million barrels of oil per day. All this drilling means
significantly increased transportation needs. Equipment and materials must be
transported to the well sites. Personnel must be transported to and from well
sites, which are often located in remote areas. Vehicles are used to move
equipment and materials at the well sites. Last but not least, commercial tanker
trucks are used to haul away fracking water, oil, and gas.
What Are the Risks Associated with Tanker Trucks and the Oil Boom?
Highway vehicle crashes are the leading cause of worker death in the oil and gas
extraction industries, as reported by OSHA. Tanker truck and highway vehicle incidents claim the lives of approximately
four out of every ten oil and gas workers killed on the job. It is not only oil
workers who are killed and injured in Permian Basin transportation accidents.
Traffic accidents and fatalities have increased overall. In fact, Route 285, has
been named “Death Highway” by locals. This is one of the main roads used to
carry equipment and supplies to and from West Texas oilfields. It runs through
Pecos, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico, and is considered by some to be the
deadliest highway in the U.S. In a recent year, 93 people died in truck
accidents on the Texas side only of the Permian Basin, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
What Are the Factors Contributing to Truck Accidents in the Permian Basin?
There are many factors contributing to the risks oil workers and other motorists
are facing on highways in the Permian Basin. One factor is older highways not
originally designed for the volume of traffic they are now supporting. Truck
drivers may hit sinkholes several feet wide. Other contributing factors include:
- Fatigued driving and speeding: Truck drivers are in great
demand and can make excellent money. Problems arise when they are too tired to drive, but continue driving anyway, or when they speed to get the job done
sooner. Workers who have been in the oilfields for ten or 11 days, working
14 hours a day, may be too tired to drive safely.
- Driver inexperience: Oil companies are hiring young and
inexperienced drivers. Transportation training at a New Mexico junior
college involves three-week long sessions, after which commercial driver’s
license (CDL) applicants take a three-part test. Companies are substituting
formal training for experience, and there are currently very few drivers who
have even two to three years of oilfield experience with big rigs.
- Poor truck maintenance: A lot more upkeep is required for
an oilfield truck than an on-the-road truck. Big rigs used to carry oilfield
supplies are not always properly maintained, and equipment failure can lead
to truck accidents.
If you have been hurt in a truck accident in Texas or New Mexico, contact the
Sorey Law Firm P.L.L.C. at (903) 230-5600. Our experienced truck accident
lawyers are dedicated advocates for the injured.
