Every year, the number of vehicles on the road seems to be increasing and unfortunately, so are the occurrences of accidents. An accident, be it a car accident or any other vehicle on the road, is shocking and causes trauma to all those involved. When it comes to trucks, just owing to their large size, the disaster is almost always on a larger scale, causing catastrophic injury to the people affected.

If you look at the statistics from the FMCSA or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, you will be shocked to find that there was an 8 percent increase in truck accidents in the year 2015 when compared to the number of accidents in the previous year.  

Though there can be various causes, a majority of the times, accidents happen due to the driver’s negligence. Truck drivers often end up working long hours and sometimes end up driving non-stop long distance, so they can be quite fatigued. In fact, studies have shown that the number of driving hours of truck drivers was directly proportional to the number of accidents that were mainly caused due to fatigue.

It is with a view to preventing accidents that federal transportation law has come up with mandatory hours of service rules for truck drivers.

What are hours of service for 18-wheeler drivers?

FMCSA, a part of the US-DOT or the United States Department of Transportation has put forward some regulations regarding the working hours of drivers who drive heavy vehicles. These are known as HOS or Hours of Service. The rules are not just for truck drivers but also bus drivers, both city bus drivers, and school bus drivers.

As per the rules, there are stipulated hours of working for drivers so that they get enough time to rest between their shifts.

Truck drivers can work in an 11-hour shift but only after around 10 hours of break time. That means after working for 11 hours, they need to stay off driving for at least 10 hours.

Also, they cannot drive later than the 14th consecutive hour once they resume their duty after the mandatory 10-hours off. The drivers also have to take at least a 30-minute rest after every eight-hour shift.

Thus, the total hours a truck driver can drive in a week is about 60 hours. The drivers also have to note down their working and rest hours in log books that will be inspected by authorities from time to time. If they find any violation, the drivers could attract penalty.  

Drivers thus have no choice but to adhere to the rules because, in addition to the penalty, they could also be held responsible in case of an accident. These logbooks could easily prove that it was due to fatigue that the accident occurred.

For truck drivers carrying passengers, the shift is limited to 10 hours and they should take 8 hours off duty before they can resume their shift. The number of driving hours is limited to 15 hours but only after they have completed 8 hours of break or off-duty.

If you or anyone of your family or friends has been a victim of a truck accident, it may be because the drivers have not followed the hours of service. This could work against the drivers for your case and hence an auto accident attorney can be of help in establishing the cause. Since truck accidents come under personal injury cases, a car accident lawyer can help you get the best compensation in such a case.