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What are hours of service requirements for truck drivers?

Road trips can be fun adventures for Pottsville residents who enjoy the open road and time behind the wheels of their vehicles. When they take off they may be fueled by the energy and excitement of a new journey. However, when they get tired their excitement may wane and they may decide to pull over for the night to catch some sleep and prepare for the next leg of their excursions.

Leisure drivers have the advantage of being able to set their own driving paces. Truck drivers, on the other hand, may be expected to keep to tight delivery schedules so that the products they haul make it to their destinations in time. For this reason some truck drivers make poor choices and operate their rigs long after they should have stopped and gotten some rest so that their driving is safe and under control.

Tired truck drivers cause deadly accidents each year and for this reason the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has implemented hours of service requirements for truck drivers who carry cargo on American roads. After 10 hours off from driving a truck driver may drive for 14 hours, but during those hours of driving they must take breaks and they may not drive for more than 11 straight hours before taking an addition period of rest out of their rigs.

Different rules apply for drivers who operate buses and other vehicles that carry passengers, and the information provided herein is not comprehensive of the federal hours of service requirements that truck drivers must meet. Victims of truck accidents who believe that driver exhaustion may have contributed to their crashes are encouraged to discuss their cases with personal injury attorneys.

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