The FMCSA Attempts to Limit Truck Injury Claims In Georgia

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As an attorney in Atlanta handling truck injury claims, I tell prospective clients that it is often vital to examine the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Many people are not familiar with the FMCSA. This is the administration was established in 2000 and is vested with the authority to govern the conduct of companies operating tractor-trailers and other large trucks in interstate commerce. The primary purposed of the agency is to prevent tractor-trailer and large truck accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

The FMCSA regulates many aspects of tractor-trailer operation, including but not limited to: commercial driver’s licenses (CDL), hiring/training of tractor-trailer drivers, and physical requirements of trucks. The FMCSA also publishes a website called SAFESTAT, which is a valuable resource for investigating the safety history and insurance information for many trucking companies.

One of the most important aspects of commercial vehicle driving with is regulated by the FMCSA is allowable driving time. Not surprisingly, tractor-trailer drivers are limited in the number of hours they may drive each day, primarily because of concerns about fatigue and pressure for making on-time delivery. After all, no one wants the driver of a 65,000 pound truck to fall asleep at the wheel. In order to enforce the limits on driving time, the FMCSA mandates that drivers keep a log book showing their driving status.

The driver must keep a record about a number of things, including: total number of hours driven that day, when they were off duty, when they were in the sleeper birth, when they were driving, and when they were on duty. The limits on the number of hours a driver carrying property may drive are found here. The limits on the number of hours a driver carrying passengers may drive are found here.