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    Truck Driving Rules and Regulations

    Posted on - Thursday, June 19, 2014 under Truck Accidents Truck Driving Rules and Regulations

    Accidents involving trucks have been highly-publicized. Tractor-trailer operators are sometimes put to unattainable task by those for whom they are pulling loads. The pressure is simple: in most instances, the operator doesn’t get paid unless he or she delivers.

    Hence, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration lays out rules and regulations whose purpose is to protect all persons on the road, including the truck drivers. The rules pertaining to how long a truck driver can be on the road are being talked about a lot on the news channels.

    The federal government mandates pertaining to hours of operation for product-carrying truckers (i.e. not those carrying passengers commercially) are as follows:

    • A trucker may drive 11 consecutive hours (only after 10 hours off duty);
    • A trucker may not drive past the 14th-hour being on-duty (only after 10 hours off duty);
    • A trucker may drive only if 8 hours or less have passed since end of driver’s last off-duty or sleeper berth period of at least 30 minutes;
    • 60/70-Hour Limit – A trucker may not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days.
    • A driver may restart a 7/8 consecutive day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty. Must include two periods from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. home terminal time, and may only be used once per week, or 168 hours, measured from the beginning of the previous restart;
    • Sleeper Berth Provision – Drivers using the sleeper berth provision must take at least 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, plus a separate 2 consecutive hours either in the sleeper berth, off duty, or any combination of the two.

    As you can see, the government puts restrictions on how many hours a trucker can operate. Nevertheless, these regulations are not followed by a small few in the industry. Those decisions usually end with tragic consequences. If you or a loved one is injured by a commercial vehicle, contact The Parian Law Firm, LLC to investigate the accident and get the recovery you deserve.