Delivery Truck Drivers May be Under Pressure to Skip Mandatory Breaks

 Posted on July 25, 2023 in Uncategorized

Every industry has rules it must carefully follow. Many industries also have certain rules that are not necessarily followed or enforced. In trucking, there are federal Hours of Service laws set out by the Department of Transportation. The Hours of Service laws govern how often truck drivers must take a break from driving, and how long each break must be. These laws are in place for safety purposes. They are meant to protect the public from the dangers of driver fatigue among CDL drivers, including those who drive trucks for shipping companies like FedEx. They are also meant to protect the truck drivers from being forced into driving long hours without being able to get adequate rest. Unfortunately, not all trucking employers respect these rules. There is a problem among the trucking community with employers encouraging their drivers to continue driving rather than stopping to rest. Fatigued truck drivers are more prone to causing accidents. If you were injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Talking to an attorney should be your next step. 

Truckers May be Encouraged to Work Unsafe Hours

Truck drivers are required to keep a log of the hours they work and the hours they spent on rest breaks. Many modern commercial trucks are also equipped with software that records the hours the vehicle is in operation. However, some truckers report that their employer tampers with these logs in order to falsify a driver’s recorded drive time. Unscrupulous employers may falsify logs to show that drivers took a break when they did not. 

Another method of avoiding complying with Hours of Service regulations some truck drivers have reported is having a truck driver log into a different employee’s account in order to continue driving after they reach the maximum allowable drive time. One driver even reported having been pressured to drive continuously for 30 hours. 

Studies have shown that fatigued driving can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Being overly tired can drastically decrease a person’s response time. This may mean that a tired delivery driver may cause an accident that a well-rested driver could have avoided by reacting quickly. 

It can be difficult to tell after an accident whether the truck driver had been overly tired. Even a very sleep deprived truck driver may appear alert after an accident. It will likely take the investigative skill of a lawyer to discover whether Hours of Service violations may have played a role in the crash. 

Contact a Dallas, Texas Truck Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in a truck accident, Delivery Driver Accident Attorney, Operated by the Law Office of Jerry D. Andrews, P.C. may be able to help you recover compensation. Our caring team of Dallas truck accident attorneys will investigate carefully to help determine the likely cause of the accident. To begin with a free consultation, please contact us at 469-461-4870. 

Source:

https://www.businessinsider.com/truck-drivers-forced-drive-legal-limit-employers-change-electronic-logs-2022-7

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aaa-study-drowsy-driving-dangers-comparable-to-drunk-driving/