Colorado’s Senate passed a bill March 5 that would block shipping contracts that make truckers assume full liability for crashes no matter who is at fault.

Colorado could become the 40th state to pass legislation protecting truckers against having to assume full liability for accidents, regardless of who is at fault.

South Dakota last month became the 31st state to pass legislation protecting truckers from shipping contracts that require the carrier to shoulder all responsibility for accidents even though they may not be at fault.

Trucking officials said efforts to enact federal legislation protecting carriers from overreaching indemnification provisions in shipper contracts were likely to be the industry’s primary tort reform push in the coming year.