Federal Trucking Regulations

In addition to state law, federal trucking regulations govern truck operation across the United States. Federal trucking regulations are made by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a division under the US Department of Transportation. These laws are intended to protect trucker's rights, govern the responsibilities and duties of truck drivers and their employers, protect the rights and safety of other vehicle drivers, and ensure the general safety and wellbeing of people, our roads, and our environment.

When a truck driver violates federal trucking regulations and an accident ensues, the driver and/or their employer can be held liable for the resulting damage, injuries and fatalities. This is true even if other factors contributed to the trucking accident. For this reason, it is important to have a qualified trucking attorney evaluate your accident case to determine if any federal trucking regulations were violated. Our attorneys have in-depth knowledge of Federal Trucking Regulations and how these apply to legal cases involving trucking accidents. To learn more about Federal law and your legal rights in a trucking accident case, please contact us today for a free and confidential evaluation.

Read on to learn more about the different types of federal trucking regulations.

Types of federal trucking regulations:

• Hours of service rules. According to federal law, truck drivers may not drive for more than 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. If a driver has worked 60 hours in 7 days (or, in some cases, 70 hours in an 8-day period), you are not eligible to operate the truck. The Federal Trucking Regulations provide additional stipulations and exceptions to this rule.
• Size, weigh and load regulations. To ensure the safety of trucks and prevent undue damage to our roadways, the Federal trucking regulations have explicit limitations on the length and width of trucks, their maximum weight capacity, and how their goods are loaded. Law enforcement officers are able to pull a truck over if they suspect non-compliance. Furthermore, trucks are required to stop at all designated weigh-in stations.
• Workplace drug and alcohol testing programs must be established by trucking companies and observed by all employees
• Noise and pollution emission standards
• Inspection, repair and maintenance standards
• More.

To learn more about federal trucking regulations that may be relevant to your accident case, please contact our experienced attorneys today.