Since commercial truck drivers are required to travel long distances to meet their strict delivery deadlines, their job typically entails driving for long stretches of time. However, if a driver does not get the proper amount of rest at any point during these long hours, they substantially increase their risk of causing a truck accident. But despite this fact, truckers continue to drive while fatigued in order to maximize their profits.
To prevent driver fatigue, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) established regulations regarding how long a commercial trucker can drive for before taking a necessary break – called the “Hours of Service” (HOS) rules. The purpose of HOS is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries by drivers and responsible truck companies who push beyond safe and legal practices.
Some of the mandates required by the FMCSA for commercial trucks include the following:
- Commercial drivers may drive a maximum 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
- Commercial drivers may not drive beyond a 14th consecutive hour of being on duty after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
- Commercial drivers may drive only if eight hours or less have passed since the end of his or her last off-duty of at least 30 minutes.
- Commercial drivers may not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 days.
If you suffered serious injury in a commercial trucking accident in South Carolina, our Charleston personal injury attorneys at Pierce | Sloan will thoroughly investigate whether the truck driver violated HOS rules. We can compare driver logs to dispatch logs and trip receipts, compare the number of miles stated in the logbook to the amount paid for miles driven, as well as examine scale tickets and fuel receipts.
Contact us and schedule a free consultation today.