Commercial truck drivers spend long hours on the road delivering goods across the country. Because fatigue can significantly increase the risk of serious accidents, federal regulations limit the amount of time truck drivers can work before taking mandatory breaks. These rules are known as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Hours of Service (HOS) regulations.
Understanding these limits can help explain how driver fatigue contributes to truck accidents and why violations of these rules may become an important issue during a personal injury claim.
Why Are Hours of Service Rules Important?
Driving an 80,000-pound commercial truck requires constant attention and quick decision-making. As drivers become tired, their reaction times slow, their judgment suffers, and they may have difficulty staying focused on the road.
Research has shown that fatigue can impair driving abilities in ways similar to alcohol impairment. To reduce these risks, the FMCSA establishes limits on how long most commercial truck drivers may drive before resting.
Although Hours of Service regulations cannot prevent every crash, they are intended to reduce fatigue-related accidents and improve highway safety.
How Many Hours Can a Truck Driver Drive?
Most interstate property-carrying commercial truck drivers are subject to the following federal limits:
- 11-hour driving limit: A driver may drive for up to 11 hours after taking at least 10 consecutive hours off duty.
- 14-hour workday limit: Drivers cannot drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, even if they have taken breaks during the day.
- 30-minute break requirement: After eight cumulative hours of driving, drivers generally must take at least a 30-minute break before continuing to drive.
- 60/70-hour weekly limit: Drivers generally may not drive after accumulating 60 hours on duty in seven consecutive days or 70 hours in eight consecutive days, depending on the carrier’s operating schedule.
Certain exceptions may apply in limited situations, but these are the general rules governing most interstate commercial drivers.
What Is the 34-Hour Restart Rule?
Truck drivers who reach their weekly maximum hours may reset their available driving time by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off duty.
This “restart” allows drivers to begin a new workweek with a fresh allotment of available hours under the federal regulations.
How Are Driving Hours Monitored?
Most commercial trucks are equipped with Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) that automatically record driving time.
These devices make it more difficult to falsify driving logs and allow trucking companies and federal regulators to monitor compliance with Hours of Service regulations.
In addition to ELD data, investigators may review:
- Driver logs
- GPS records
- Dispatch records
- Fuel receipts
- Toll records
- Bills of lading
- Cell phone records
Together, these records can help establish whether a driver exceeded the legal driving limits.
What Happens If a Truck Driver Violates Hours of Service Rules?
Hours of Service violations can result in regulatory penalties for drivers and trucking companies. More importantly, they may indicate that fatigue contributed to a crash.
Examples of potential violations include:
- Driving longer than legally permitted
- Failing to take required rest breaks
- Falsifying driving logs
- Pressuring drivers to exceed legal limits
- Ignoring mandatory off-duty periods
A violation does not automatically establish legal liability for an accident. However, it may serve as important evidence when determining whether a driver or trucking company acted negligently.
Can the Trucking Company Be Responsible?
In some cases, responsibility extends beyond the individual driver.
A trucking company may share liability if it:
- Encouraged unrealistic delivery schedules
- Failed to monitor Hours of Service compliance
- Ignored repeated logbook violations
- Allowed fatigued drivers to continue operating
- Failed to maintain required safety policies
Determining responsibility often requires a detailed review of company records, driver logs, and other evidence obtained during the investigation.
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer at Rafi Law Firm for a Free Consultation
If you were injured in a truck accident, determining whether the driver complied with federal Hours of Service regulations may be an important part of your case. An experienced truck accident attorney at Rafi Law Firm can investigate the circumstances of the crash, identify potentially liable parties, and help you pursue compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
We proudly serve clients throughout Fulton County and the greater Atlanta metro area in Georgia.
Rafi Law Firm – Atlanta
1776 Peachtree St NW UNIT 423, Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 800-9933
