Truckers operate large and heavy rigs, so they must be fully prepared to drive safely at all times. Fatigue is one factor that can contribute to crashes if they let it overtake them. In an effort to combat this, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has hours of service guidelines that govern the amount of time a trucker is allowed to drive before taking a rest break.
The hours of service guidelines list the maximum amount of time that a trucker can be behind the wheel. It also gives truckers the opportunity to do other job duties as long as their driving doesn’t extend past a specific point in their shift.
How long can truckers drive?
Truckers who are carrying property can drive for 11 hours and then must take 10 consecutive hours off duty. Truckers who are carrying people can drive a maximum of 10 hours and must take eight consecutive hours off before driving again.
If truckers are doing their job duties, they still must abide by those maximum driving hours. They also have to follow guidelines about how many hours total they are allowed to be on duty, including non-driving time. The limit is 14 hours of on-duty time for property-carrying truckers, which means that they can’t drive past their 14th consecutive hour working. The limit for truckers who are carrying people is 15 consecutive hours on duty.
Hours of service regulations can be a central factor in some semitruck crash cases. Victims of these crashes will likely need to have significant medical care because these injuries can be catastrophic. The cost of care is often expensive, especially if long-term care and rehabilitation are necessary.
Getting assistance from someone familiar with these matters is often beneficial because they can help you to battle against the trucking company and any other defendants in the case.