Elizabethtown Trucking Accident: Are Trucking Companies Regulated by the Federal Government?

Trucking companies, including their trucks and drivers, are heavily regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA exists to regulate practices that increase safety and decrease accidents involving commercial trucks. All commercial trucks that cross state lines are subject to these regulations. Failing to adhere to these regulations can result in substantial penalties and fines. Although a violation isn’t proof, by itself, of negligence on the part of a truck driver or trucking company, violations are often indicative of negligence when an accident ensues.

Commercial trucks are required to display markings indicating what type of goods they are hauling and alert the public that they are a commercial vehicle. Any cargo is required by federal regulations to be properly and safely secured. Trucks on the road are required to have commercial vehicle insurance to protect the driver and any victims should the unfortunate event of an accident occur. Trucking companies are required to regularly drug test their drivers to ensure they are not impaired by drugs while driving. They are also required to have at least ten hours off each day they are working. This allows drivers an adequate amount of time to get a good night’s sleep before getting behind the wheel again. Drivers are permitted to drive for no more than 11 hours per day and they are permitted to do other work, such as filling out paperwork, for no more than three hours per day.

Trucking companies must ensure that their drivers are adhering to these regulations. Truck drivers are required to maintain a log of hours of service, including both driving time and non-driving time. Drivers are not permitted to ingest any intoxicating substance, such as drugs or alcohol, within eight hours of their shift. Drivers are not allowed to work if they have a blood alcohol limit greater than 0.02 percent. All too often a safety violation is found to be the cause, or a contributing factor, in a trucking accident.

Though federal regulations require detailed records to be kept that would indicate if a truck or driver was in violation of the federal regulations at the time of an accident, you need an attorney’s help to get access to these records if you are the victim of a trucking accident. For this reason, if you have been injured in a Elizabethtown trucking accident it is imperative that you contact an experienced Elizabethtown trucking accident attorney right away.