You didn’t make the new federal hours of service regulations that truckers must adhere to in the course of their jobs. You aren’t even the one who has to comply with such regulations. Yet, the regulations may be important to you if they help a trucker prevent a serious Missouri truck accident or if you have been injured in a truck wreck and you are seeking legal damages.
What You Should Know About the New Hours of Service Regulations
On July 1, 2013, the new hours of service trucking regulations promulgated by the United States Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration went into effect. The new regulations require that truckers:
- Work be limited to 70 hours a week, on average.
- Are provided with at least a 34 hour rest period that includes two nighttime shifts between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. after every 70 hour work week (or less time if the trucking company so provides).
- Take at least a 30 minutes break sometime during the first eight hours of driving each shift.
- Work no more than 14 hours a day and that only 11 hours a day be spent driving.
The purpose of these revised regulations is to decrease the number of tired truckers on the road and to prevent serious truck accident injuries in Missouri and around the nation.
Regulations Aren’t Perfect. Call a Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer if You’re Hurt
Despite the efforts of the federal government, not all truck accidents can be avoided. If you are hurt, or a loved one is killed in a Missouri truck wreck then we encourage you to find out more about your rights and possible recovery. Please call an experienced Osage Beach truck accident lawyer today at (573) 240-8866 and please read our FREE guide about dealing with insurance companies: The Lies Smart People Believe About Missouri Insurance Claims.