"Overloaded, poorly maintained" is not unusual, especially if there is an economic benefit, and it happens all over the world. The majority of those photos of overloaded trains, trucks, cars, bikes are in other countries, but not all. And, yes, again, lots of Mexican trucks are on our highways now, some without professional drivers and many with looming maintenance problems.
The real test here in the USA is a hefty load on a 6 or 7% downhill grade, especially if the driver is inexperienced in mountainous driving. As Hotrod mentioned, the brakes get WAY too hot. They start to smoke, lose effectiveness and then they fail. Spectacularly. Our Volunteer department goes on LOTS of smoking brake calls, due to the steep and winding highway through our district. These turn into fires quickly, . Not everybody gets to coast to a stop. And not everybody gets out alive. The presence of the signs, indicating "Runaway truck ramp, 1 mile", should suggest a true warning signal. "This is a steep, treacherous road. Slow down."
I have no theory about the straight and level stretch west of Las Cruces on I-10, or the relatively good part of I-25 leading from LCX to ABQ, but a legitimate professional trucker, with a legal load and properly maintained truck and trailer, is still subject to the routine wear and tear on him/her and the vehicle. It seems like there are more semis on the road than ever before. Parts wear out, drivers get tired, deadlines loom. . we hope that the drivers and cargo will be OK. About ten years ago my wife and I witnessed a tragedy that unfolded near Desert Center CA when a moving van caught fire, destroying the belongings of several families, and shutting down all lanes of I-10 while the local department battled the incredible blaze. What a mess! But, everyone was safe and all the delay was just an inconvenience, other than for the families who lost their furniture, housewares and keepsakes in the inferno.
I see burned out farms and ranch homes in my travels, just the chimney and foundation left as silent sentinels to the conflagration that devastated a family, their home and their possessions. I say a prayer, hoping they got out OK, wondering what happened. Not many answers out there.
