Key Points in This Article:
- Truckers must adhere to regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that include limits on driving hours to prevent driver-related fatigue.
- These driving hour limits include the 14-hour driving window, 11-hour driving limit, and 60/70-hour duty limit.
- Failure to follow trucking safety rules can result in penalties, fines, and even license suspension, and if injured in a truck accident, it’s important to consult with a qualified truck accident lawyer.
Trucking accidents cause some of the most devastating crashes on our nation’s roads. An accident with a big rig will likely involve significant vehicle damage and may lead to life-threatening injuries.
The National Safety Council reports that in 71% of trucking accidents, the injured person is the other driver, not the trucker. Truckers often stay safely above the chaos in their steel cabs while others suffer the consequences.
Federal and state laws are intended to minimize or prevent crashes by setting standards for truckers’ licenses, equipment, and driving hours. Of course, these rules can’t prevent all crashes. Some truckers make mistakes or simply don’t abide by the law.
This article explains some important semi-truck driving laws, including how many hours a trucker can drive and the trucking safety rules they’re expected to follow.
What Are the Laws Regarding Semi Truck Driving?
Any trucker in the United States operating intrastate or interstate should hold a Class-A commercial driver’s license (CDL) if their vehicle is above 10,000 pounds or if they carry dangerous materials. The license must be renewed regularly and allowing it to expire usually involves a complex process of recertification.
To obtain a CDL, truckers must undergo physical evaluations, take tests, pay fees, submit to background and qualifications checks, and meet other rigorous requirements. For example, Kentucky CDL tests include:
- A medical assessment
- A skills test
- A vision test
- A written test
- A “hot file” check of qualifications
Hazardous materials (HAZMAT) drivers are required to take additional assessments. These drivers are responsible for transporting dangerous substances, so the law requires safe handling procedures beyond those normally needed in trucking.
Kentucky law does not allow commercial trucks to exceed 80,000 pounds in total gross weight. The state also has truck height limits, length limits, axle pound limits, and axle arrangement rules, so truckers should educate themselves on the appropriate specifications.
At the federal level, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets trucking regulations about what truckers can transport, whether they can have passengers, drug testing, inspection requirements, and how they should track their hours of service. In the next section, we’ll detail how many hours a trucker can drive consecutively.
How Many Hours Can a Trucker Legally Drive?
According to the FMCSA Interstate Truck Driver’s Rules, the main reason for regulating trucking hours is to prevent driver-related fatigue, which is a leading cause of truck accidents. The rules regulate how long truckers can drive and when they must take mandatory rest breaks.
At all times, truckers must abide by three maximum limits: the 14-hour driving window limit, the 11-hour driving limit, and the 60/70-hour duty limit. Here’s how these limits break down.
The 14-Hour Driving Window
A trucker can drive a limit of 11 consecutive hours within a 14-hour window only after being off duty for at least 10 consecutive hours. Although most truckers view this as a daily limit, it is not based on a 24-hour period. Each driving window must always be separated by 10 consecutive hours of off-duty rest time.
The 11-Hour Driving Limit
During the 14-hour window described above, a trucker may drive 11 total hours. However, if more than 8 hours have passed since the driver’s last off-duty rest period, they may not drive until taking a 30-minute break or another 10-hour off-duty rest period. There are some exceptions to these break requirements for certain truckers, like short-haul drivers.
The 60/70-Hour Duty Limit
The FMCSA also sets two duty limits based on rolling 7-day or 8-day work periods. These are known as the 60-hour/7-day and 70-hour/8-day duty limits.
The 60-hour/7-day limit applies to trucking companies operating 7 days a week. It means a trucker who has driven 60 hours during 7 consecutive days must stop driving until they have dropped below 60 hours for a previous 7-day period. They may not drive for another company or do any other driving work without adding these hours to the total.
The 70-hour/8-day limit applies to truckers who work for companies that don’t operate every day of the week. There is a rolling 8-day limit requiring them to stop driving after 70 hours within 8 days. While the trucker may do other work during their down period, like paperwork, they cannot do driving work until the 70-hour limit for 8 days has passed.
34-Hour Restart Period
Federal regulations allow truckers to reset the clock on their 60-hour or 70-hour driving limits by taking 34 or more consecutive hours off. While the 34-hour restart is optional, some trucking companies build it into their truckers’ work schedules to prevent driver fatigue and stay in the clear on regulatory compliance.
What if a Trucker Doesn’t Follow Trucking Safety Rules?
Truckers are expected to follow safety rules, including inspecting their vehicles regularly to prevent truck brake failures, tire blowouts, and other road accidents due to equipment failures. They must submit inspection and driving reports regularly, and many trucking companies constantly monitor driver behavior.
If a trucker or trucking company fails to follow the law, the state or federal government can take action against both parties. A government agency may place limits on the trucker’s CDL, limit driving hours, impose fines, and/or require proof of compliance with the law.
The FMCSA has broad powers to pass trucking regulations, enforce them, inspect vehicles, attend trucking accident crash scenes, assign penalties, and more. Trucking companies are obligated to follow the rules or face harsh consequences. In extreme cases, their licenses to operate can be suspended or revoked in the interest of public safety.
Injured in a Truck Accident? Contact Rhoads & Rhoads
If you were injured in a truck accident, avoid speaking to the trucking company, trucking insurance representative, or anyone else until you speak to a qualified truck accident lawyer. Trucking companies almost always have strong legal representation, and you should, too.
A Kentucky truck accident lawyer can lay out your options and help you understand the best route to compensation for your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, emotional suffering, and other damages. Truck accidents often cause a path of destruction in an injured person’s life, so you may need extensive compensation to stay on the road to recovery
After your truck accident, you can turn to Rhoads & Rhoads in Central Kentucky for our decades of experience and dedication to helping injured people. To assist you, we offer a free initial consultation and all cases are taken on a contingency fee basis.
No up-front payment is required and we take payment only if we win or settle your case. There is NO RISK to you. Connect with us at 888-709-9329 to schedule an appointment about your Kentucky truck accident.