The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates the number of hours that a truck driver can operate their rig every day. These regulations apply to drivers in Louisiana and the rest of the country. The way that a truck driver can prove that they are in compliance with the FMCSA’s hours of service regulations, or the way that a victim of a truck accident can show that a driver was in violation of those same regulations, is through an examination of the driver’s logbook.
Truck drivers must log each day in their logbook. For example, they must log when they are actively operating their rigs and when they are off duty. They must also show when they are on duty, but not driving and when they are resting. Each type of data must be recorded to reflect the hours spent doing each task and the hours per day must add up to 24.
Truck drivers generally cannot be on duty for more than 14 consecutive hours and may not drive for more than 11 of those hours. Truck drivers are required to take breaks, rest and get out of their vehicles to remain safe operators and keep themselves alert. If a logbook reflects that a driver violated these important safety rules then they may find themselves facing sanctions.
Tired truck drivers can cause crashes that kill innocent victims and leave families dealing with the difficult task of moving forward without their loved ones. Logbooks can play an important role in truck accident lawsuits and attorneys who represent victims of truck accidents.
