Truckers have a duty to remain as safe as possible on the roadways. One thing that they must avoid is driving when they’re fatigued. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has guidelines for truckers to follow about how long they can drive in a shift. These are known as the hours-of-service regulations.
The hours-of-service regulations are based on whether the trucker is carrying property or passengers. Some limits apply only to driving, but others include time spent doing non-driving tasks.
Limitations for truckers
A trucker who’s carrying property can drive for a maximum of 11 hours if they have had 10 hours off duty prior to driving. If they’re carrying passengers, the limit is 10 hours of driving if they have eight hours off duty before they start driving.
If they’re doing non-driving tasks during their shift, they must still abide by the driving hours limit, but they also can’t drive beyond their fourteenth hour on duty if they’re carrying property. If they’re carrying passengers, they can’t drive beyond their fifteenth hour on duty.
Truckers also have limits that apply to how many total hours they can drive over a rolling period of seven and eight days. Truckers, regardless of whether they’re carrying property or people, are limited to 60 hours in seven days and 70 hours in eight days.
A crash that’s caused by a fatigued trucker can lead to significant trauma for the victims. These injuries may require urgent medical care, which comes with considerable costs. Victims may opt to pursue a compensation claim if their injury was caused by the negligence of the trucker or another party, such as the trucking company. Time limits apply to these cases, so it’s critical that victims have someone in their corner to assist with making this possible.
