The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a regulation covering the use of electronic logging devices by trucking companies. The electronic logging devices keep track of a truck’s hours on the road in order to ensure the driver complies with hours-of-service laws. Drivers who violate hours-of-service laws by driving more than the laws allow may be subject to penalties.
The new regulation has three separate parts, all designed to encourage trucking companies to monitor hours of service closely. The first part encourages voluntary use of logging devices by allowing companies that use them to monitor only samples of logs and relieving these companies from the need to keep extensive supporting documents.
The second part makes electronic logging devices mandatory for any company whose truck drivers are found to have committed a “critical” hours of service violation. A critical violation is one in which ten percent of the drivers’ logs show the same violation. For example, if ten percent of a company’s drivers are driving more than eleven consecutive hours without stopping, the company will be found to have committed a critical violation. FMCSA requires these companies to use electronic logging devices for two years.
Finally, the third part of the new rule requires new electronic logging devices to be able to track a truck’s GPS coordinates and to be synchronized with the specific vehicle they are installed to track. Trucks that already have electronic logging devices may continue to use their device even if it does not meet the new requirements.
FMCSA regulations are designed to increase safety for large trucks and the drivers who share the road with them. A driver who fails to follow FMCSA rules may be acting negligently. If you are in an accident with such a driver, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, and more. The experienced Missouri big rig crash attorneys at Page Law can help you understand your legal rights and win you the compensation you deserve. Call Page Law today at (314) 322-8515 for a free case evaluation.
