Examining the Safety Standards of Commercial Long-Haul Trucking Operations on the Kano-Maiduguri Highway

The Kano-Maiduguri Highway, spanning over 1,000 kilometres across North West and North East Nigeria, is a critical freight corridor serving the Lake Chad Basin and northeast commercial zones. This study examines the safety standards of commercial long-haul trucking operations on this route. A descriptive field survey design was adopted, combining roadside observations at three inspection points with structured questionnaires administered to 110 truck drivers and 25 logistics company transport supervisors. The study assesses vehicle roadworthiness, driving hour violations, cargo securing practices, driver fatigue indicators, and accident records from Federal Road Safety Corps commands along the route. Findings reveal that over 50 percent of trucks inspected show signs of mechanical deficiency, including worn tyres, faulty braking systems, and non-functional headlights. Driver fatigue is pervasive, with 64 percent of surveyed drivers admitting to driving more than 16 hours continuously, well in excess of safety recommendations. Cargo is frequently inadequately secured, posing risks to other road users. The study attributes these conditions to weak regulatory enforcement, competitive commercial pressure, and the absence of mandatory rest stops along the corridor. Recommendations include the construction of regulated rest facilities at 200-kilometre intervals, mandatory electronic logging devices for trucks, intensified enforcement of hours-of-service regulations, and training grants for long-haul truck operators. Keywords: long-haul trucking, road safety, Kano-Maiduguri highway, driver fatigue, freight transport.