Truck Industry Regulations in Franklin

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)The U.S. federal agency that regulates the trucking industry. is responsible for overseeing America’s commercial trucking industry and ensuring everyone who participates in it acts responsibly in order to protect motorists. With that goal in mind, the FMCSA has set out numerous rules and restrictions for how commercial truck services may operate on public highways.

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of examples of individual truck drivers and massive trucking companies inadvertently or knowingly violating the laws set up by this federal agency—and sometimes, those violations end up causing serious harm to innocent people. Here are some of the commonly breached truck industry regulations in Franklin which our truck injury lawyers here at the Law Firm for Truck Safety have experience successfully suing over.

Federal Truck Weight Limits

Under federal trucking regulations applicable to all truckers driving through or around Franklin, no tractor-trailer traveling on interstate highways or otherwise crossing state lines on a route can have a gross vehicle weight rating—meaning a total weight with the cab and trailer as well as all cargo included—of more than 80,000 pounds. Furthermore, with the assumption being that all of a truck’s axles and axle groups bear an equal share of the truck’s gross vehicle weight rating, no truck can put more than 20,000 pounds of weight on any one axle or more than 34,000 pounds of weight on any one axle group.

Federal Hours of Service Rules

No commercial truck driver can drive for more than 11 total hours or be on shift for more than 14 total hours without taking an off-duty period of at least 10 consecutive hours in between. In addition, FMCSA rules prohibit truckers from working more than 60 total hours in any seven-day period or more than 70 total hours in any eight-day period, and a driver cannot drive more than 11 hours or work more than 14 total hours without a required 10 hour rest break.

Federal Maintenance and Equipment Requirements

FMCSA rules for the truck industry also impose strict maintenance requirements on trucking companies, including the establishment of regular maintenance schedules and regular examination of trucks by operators prior to transit. More recently, the FMCSA has also required truck drivers operating vehicles built after the year 2000 to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) to automatically track on-duty and off-duty time, with paper logbooks only being acceptable as very short-term solutions if an ELD malfunctions.

Are There State-Level Trucking Laws in Franklin?

While truck drivers driving through Franklin are primarily governed by federal regulations, there are some additional rules established under Tennessee state law which apply to these truckers as well. For example, requirements for safely hauling loose material in open truck beds on Tennessee roads are set by state law rather than federal law. Truckers can also carry oversized loads on pre-approved in-state routes if they apply for and receive a special permit first from the state government.

Tennessee adopts the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs)U.S. federal regulations governing commercial vehicle drivers, maintenance, and operations. primarily through its own state regulations, specifically Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1340-01-13-.23 and 1340-06-01-.08, which incorporate federal standards from 49 CFR Parts 383, 390, 391, etc., making them apply to both interstate and intrastate carriers, enforced by the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) under T.C.A. Title 65 Chapter 15.

Our Franklin Attorneys Can Answer Questions About Truck Industry Regulations

Of course, this is far from a comprehensive list of all truck industry regulations in Franklin which commercial truckers are subject to. What it should emphasize, though, is that there are strict rules about how people in the trucking industry can run their businesses, and that violation of those rules can serve as grounds for legal action if they directly cause an otherwise preventable accident.

You have help available from knowledgeable legal counsel with understanding and enforcing your right to civil recovery. Call the Law Firm for Truck Safety today to learn what we could do for you.