Trucking Law: Federal Regulations

Many make the false assumption that truckers are individual entities, but it is important to realize that they are a small part of a much larger, more complex web. Throughout the nation, truckers are expected to abide under certain laws and regulations. These federal laws are made to not only protect the best interests of these commercial drivers, but also of every other driver that they share the road with.

There are many different aspects of federal laws in regards to trucks that touch on different factors. One of the most important aspects, however, is the law that looks to regulate the amount of time that drivers spend while they are on the road. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) refers to these as the hours-of-service and regulate them in an attempt to keep exhausted drivers from pushing themselves past their thresholds and operating vehicles while too fatigued to properly handle the large machines.

Under federal law, drivers that are transporting property, the maximum amount of time for which they are allowed to drive caps off at eleven hours. This, however, is only after ten hours of being off-duty. The regulations also outline that after seven to eight days, they are no longer able to operate their truck past sixty to seventy hours. To operate again, they must be off-duty for a minimum of thirty four hours. The rules differ for drivers who transport passengers and is even stricter in regulations.

Several other aspects that are outlined and regulated by federal law includes the mandatory regulation that ensures that every driver keeps a logbook outlining how long they have been driving, how log they have been sleeping, and other associated statistics. It also mandates a certain level of insurance coverage. Trucks are extremely expensive pieces of equipment – should they become involved in a trucking accident, it needs to be ensure that the insurance will be able to cover all damage.

Failure to adhere to trucking law may mean compensation for you!

If you have recently been involved in a preventable trucking accident, it is in your best interests to get the involvement of an experienced Phoenix attorney that you can trust. At Knowles Law Firm, PLC they recognize the delicate nature of these types of cases and are fully prepared to help their clients fight for just compensation.