Truck driver fatigue is one of the leading reasons for trucking accidents. FMCSA analysis division found that driver fatigue accounts for something like 8 percent of all fatal truck crashes, and for 16 percent of all truck crashes regardless of whether they result in a fatality.

There are two major contributors to truck driver fatigue:

• Unrealistic scheduling by a driver’s agency or company: Trucking companies want to maximize profitability and also to stay competitive by keeping the costs lower. These grueling schedules many times keep the driver on road behind the wheel, even when the driver is tired and is suffering from fatigue.
• Greed: The driver’s compensation depends on the distance covered (pay per mile) and/or the delivery of load. The drivers can make more money if they drive longer. Some drivers get greedy and stay on the road much longer than they should. They completely ignore the signs of fatigue. This oftentimes is an open invitation to an accident. Sometimes drivers are required to help in loading the truck, van or trailer. Some drivers do this to make some extra money (sometimes loading pay is separate). Loading or assisting in loading the truck, van or trailer makes the driver tired and fatigued.

There are rules are regulations that govern the maximum time the truck driver can drive, the time they should rest (their time off) etc. Many truck drivers completely ignore these rules, they continue to drive beyond the maximum time, some even falsify their time off records. Some may engage themselves in strenuous activities during their time off. If the driver gets behind wheels in such state of fatigue it is like an accident about to happen.

If you have been injured due to truck driver fatigue, contact us for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case with an expert.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has rules and regulations which govern commercial motor vehicles and the companies who operate these vehicles in order to make the interstate highways safer. Since 1939, Federal law has placed restrictions on the “hours of service” that a trucker may operate his truck. In January 2004, FMCSA implemented new hours-of-service regulations for truck drivers, increasing the required daily off-duty period but also increasing daily and weekly allowable driving times.