Truck Driver Responsibilities

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Truck Driver Responsibilities

• A Guide to the Obligations of Truck Drivers on
  the Roads

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Truck Drivers Must Obey All State and Federal
Regulations
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Truck drivers are required to obey regulations
and guidelines set by the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA)
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These regulations provide details on everything
from the number of hours worked to inspecting and
loading trucks
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TRUCK DRIVERS MUST OBEY STATE LAWS, including
general driving laws related to speed limits,
driving while impaired, aggressive driving, and
the right-of-way rules
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Truck Drivers Must be Experienced and
Knowledgeable About Their Vehicles
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Truck drivers are required to have a special
commercial drivers license (CDL) to ensure that
they can operate their vehicles safely
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Most commercial trucking companies will only hire
drivers to operate large trucks if the drivers
have at least two years of experience
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This ensures that the drivers know how to safely
operate larger vehicles
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Truck Drivers Must Avoid Drowsy Driving
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FMCSA rules regulate the number of hours that a
driver can operate a vehicle without a break and
the number of hours that a driver can be on duty
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FMCSA regulations also impose limits on the
number of hours a driver can operate his vehicle
over the course of each week
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To ensure drivers do not drive for longer than
FMCSA limits, drivers are expected to keep a log
of on-duty time
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Drivers Must Inspect Their Vehicles and Vehicle
Loads
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FMCSA imposes many obligations on drivers and
trucking companies when it comes to truck
maintenance
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Truck drivers should inspect their vehicles for
signs of problems before going out on any trips
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Truck drivers must ensure that their loads are
secure, that they are balanced to avoid making
the truck too top-heavy
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Truck Drivers Must Drive Sober
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Tougher drunk driving laws are imposed on truck
drivers to ensure motorists are sober when
operating these large and complicated vehicles
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The legal blood alcohol content for truck drivers
is just .04, as compared with the .08 BAC limit
for most motorists on the road
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Truck drivers typically cannot continue to drive
commercially if they have a drunk driving
conviction on their record
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Truck Drivers Must Not Drive Aggressively
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Truck drivers should not tailgate (follow too
closely behind other vehicles) as trucks have a
longer stopping distance than other vehicles due
to their large size
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Trucks should not pass illegally and should pass
other motorists only if they are certain IT IS
SAFE TO DO SO
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Trucks have large blind spots and other
motorists could be put at risk if a trucker does
not pass safely
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Truck Drivers Must Exercise Reasonable Care
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Truck drivers must drive their vehicles with a
reasonable degree of care
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If a truck driver makes dangerous driving choices
and an accident occurs, the driver can be
considered negligent
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And thus can be made to compensate accident
victims (the trucking company is also be liable
for the drivers negligence)
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If no reasonable truck driver would have acted
the way the driver did, or made the decisions the
driver did leading up to the accident, then a car
accident victim can obtain compensation from the
negligent trucker and his employer
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WHAT HAPPENS IF A TRUCK DRIVER FAILS TO LIVE UP
TO HIS RESPONSIBILITIES?
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Truck drivers have a duty to every other
motorist, pedestrian and bicycle rider on the
road to follow the Federal and State rules
applicable to them and avoid careless or
negligent behavior that leads to accidents
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A breach of this duty can give rise to a personal
injury or wrongful death case
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Injured victims or surviving family members can
be compensated for medical bills and costs, lost
income, pain and suffering and emotional distress
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Carey, Danis Lowe Attorneys at LawPersonal
Injury Lawyer
Carey, Danis Lowe Attorneys at LawPersonal
Injury Lawyer

• Practicing Nationwide

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