I have read over this thread and I am sorry for the man and family that has the loss of life. I also feel sorrow for the guys that were sentenced in the accident. The driver was unexperienced in problems with hauling and he is one that got taught the hard way.
Pulling weight and driving around heavy equipment is a dangerous business. Drivers that do not do it, don't realize how much so. They tend to ride to close, cut off my safe stopping distance space, and pull out in front of me. The dot should make every driver sit in a dump truck simulator that moves and can show what it is like to loose your brakes. fiIt is a nerve racking experience pulling in Atlanta traffic. I have almost "wrecked" several times. We also move wide loads typically up to 12' wide around the city. Many people don't yield or help. We adjust our schedule to go a the lightest traffic time of the day in order to have an easier pull.
A few things I have learnt the hard way.
* Use the lowest deck trailer you can to keep the load low.
* Hit your trailer brake controller to test your brakes while moving each time you jump on the road. Even if they work, a lot of them do not self tighten and you must adjust the brakes to make sure they keep grabbing as time goes on. Over time they just work less and less and then you have no trailer brakes at all.
* Buy the best tires you can afford, that have the highest load capacity for your wheel size.
* Take a breath, carry a one gallon jug of water for drinking. SLOW down. Yes you just got cut off but once you get used to allowing it to happen it wont bother you as much. Which leads me to the next one.
* Try to maintain safe stopping distance even if cut off..
*If the load is heavy in the rear, stop and move it forward if possible.
I use 5 different deck over the wheels trailers. They are more dangerous to pull and easier to roll than any low deck equipment trailer. I was just thinking the other day I would like to upgrade my two axle bobcat trailer to a low pro 3 axle trailer. I managed to wreck myself even with years of pulling experience. Improper tongue weight got me. Once you experience that you will not want to try it a second time... Lucky for me I was using a low pro trailer and the load stayed on and the truck and trailer did not leave the roadway in a bad area and no one was around me.
A lot of guys haul just the same way these guys did. I see it almost every time I get on the interstate and think to my self let me stay the heck away from that guy with too much weight, which is too high up, with too small a tow truck or even those with the camper that is three times bigger than the towing vehicle. Hell just watch a tire blow out on a semi and you will learn to stay away from the sides of a big truck while in motion...
Throw in a little bad luck (**** poor planning) and one little problem (in there case it seems it was the profile and grade of the roadway, but there are so many others that can happen. Wet roads, ice, blown tires, vehicle failure ) and another unlucky driver and there you go - another bad news story.