How Are Potholes Affecting The Trucking Industry & What Can You Do About It?

It seems that no matter what road you drive down in the UK at the moment, you are likely to come across a pothole. They are becoming the scourge of every motorist, but they are particularly affecting the trucking industry.

As HGVs travel more miles than most of us, they are coming across the greatest number of potholes. That is why Fleet Ex decided to take a look at the ways in which they are affecting the trucking industry, and what, if anything, can be done about it.

How are potholes formed?

We have all seen potholes on the roads, and we have probably driven through plenty of them too, but what are they?

A pothole is recognisable as a hole or depression in the road surface that can be varying depths. It is usually caused by water in the underlying soil structure beneath the road which weakens the soil. The strain of vehicles passing over the top of this then starts to break the asphalt surface and the hole forms.

This can be a particular problem during the colder months, as water that gets into the smaller cracks can then expand when it freezes, making the damage worse and accelerating the progression of the holes.

A pothole can be quite small, but in some cases, they can be several feet wide and can cover an entire lane of a road, making them unavoidable.

According to data put together by the RAC, Derbyshire is the region with the most potholes, as more than 90,000 of them have been reported. Lancashire, Northumberland and Surrey all have between 40,000 and 70,000 potholes each.

Tyre damage

When you hit a pothole in any vehicle, you will know about it. There is usually a jolt and a noise, and this could be a sign that damage has occurred to the truck. One of the most common victims is the tyres of your truck, as the sharp edges of the hole can cut into the rubber of the tyre or even damage the belts within it. Even without this significant damage, potholes can be responsible for wearing away the tread of tyres more quickly than usual, so keeping them properly inflated can help to handle travelling over them better.

Suspension

The suspension system of an HGV is designed to withstand some bumps and socks on the road, but potholes can really put this to the test. When your truck has to cope with the stress of potholes on a regular basis, it can start to cause problems within the suspension system.

This means that it can become misaligned, things like shocks and struts can become damaged and ball joints can be broken, leading to some costly repairs. It is therefore important to make sure that you are inspecting your trucks frequently to make sure that you catch problems like this early and can take remedial action before they become more serious.

Seats

When we think about the damage that potholes can cause, we don’t tend to think about our seats, but this can also be a problem. The bumps in the road can cause wear to the seat of a truck as well as the assembly that attaches them to the floor. This might mean that bolts start to loosen and the seat can shift, which not only presents some serious safety issues, but can also cause ergonomic problems that can lead to back pain.

Mechanical components

Being jolted around can cause stress and damage to almost any mechanical component if it is forced to suffer it frequently enough. It can mean that things start to become loose, and elements can be broken. Regular inspections of trucks are of paramount importance given the condition of our roads currently to make sure that the HGV remains safe and is not a risk of a very expensive breakdown.

Speed reduction

One effect of potholes that might not be quite as bad, is that they appear to be reducing the speeds of many of the vehicles on our roads. The number of speed related accidents appears to be declining as potholes start to take the role of speed bumps. Many drivers are now slowing down in order to avoid the damage that potholes can cause to their vehicles, and so they do appear to be reducing some of the risks on our roads, even if they could be considered to be causing new ones of their own.

Truck drivers in particular are experiencing a reduction in average speed, and the number of HGV drivers sustaining serious injuries from accidents has reduced. In addition to the slower speeds on the roads, potholes can also prevent some reckless overtaking manoeuvres that can be the cause of a great number of accidents, particularly by impatient drivers travelling behind HGVs.

Reporting potholes

At the moment, potholes seem to be appearing on a daily basis, and local councils seem to be struggling to keep up when it comes to repairing them. Part of the problem is that they cannot keep track of where the worst culprits are, and this is where drivers can help.

Most councils will have a system where potholes can be reported, so it is important to make sure that drivers are aware of these. They can pinpoint the location of the pothole and sometimes even upload a photograph in order to show the extent of the damage to the road.

This alerts the councils to the problem, and they can then assess the road and decide what action to take. Whilst the repairs may not always be quick or satisfactory, continually reporting problems can help to make sure they are maintained eventually.

Potholes are causing a continual problem for drivers, and they can be difficult to avoid. This means that damage can be inevitable, and this is proving to be an added expense that the trucking industry could really live without. It is therefore important to keep your trucks as well maintained as possible to minimise the repair bills potholes are responsible for.