Yes and no. In general, professional truck drivers are trained more thoroughly than the average private-vehicle driver...they have to be, for a commercial license. But, because of a number of factors, such as the pressure to make money by driving (and delivering) as many loads as possible in the shortest amount of time, semi-jocks sometimes push the number of hours on the road past what is considered safe, and end up driving while exhausted, half-asleep, on medications, distracted, or on roads that are potentially unsafe for trucks that big. In addition, the notorious traffic jams in and around major cities put even more pressure on them by delaying the arrival-times of the loads they are carrying. An additional factor is how well the trucks themselves are maintained...both trucking companies and private individuals (who own and operate their own big rigs) sometimes overload and under-maintain the trucks in an effort to minimize expenses and increase profits. There are truck-inspection stops in some major highways and Interstates (usually operated by the State Police)...but, often, these can be circumnavigated if one knows the routes around them. Like so much of everything else in business, it boils down to money.