Truck Drivers Must Adhere to Hours Limits

Truck drivers in New Jersey are generally paid for each mile that they drive, so they have a strong incentive to stay on the road for as long as possible each day. However, federal law limits the amount of time that they can spend transporting goods before they must take rest breaks.

Commercial Drivers Can Operate for Up to 14 Hours per Day

On any given day, a driver can be considered on-duty for up to 14 hours. However, that person is only allowed to drive for up to 11 hours during that period of time. Within that window, a commercial motorist is allowed to drive for up to eight consecutive hours. After reaching this limit, he or she must take a break before resuming driving activities for another three hours.

During the other three hours on duty, this individual can perform other tasks that don’t involve operating a commercial motor vehicle, such as inspecting the vehicle or overseeing cargo loading. It’s important to note that a driver cannot begin a new shift until completing a rest period of at least 10 hours.

Weekly Limits Also Apply to Commercial Truck Drivers

A driver is not allowed to work more than 60 hours over a period of seven days. Furthermore, a commercial motorist cannot work more than 70 hours during a period of eight days. If a truck is not in operation every day, the operator of that vehicle must adhere to the rule of 60 hours per seven days. Violating either of these rules may be seen as negligent behavior in a truck accident case.

If you are hurt in a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills and other damages. You may have to prove that the accident was caused by the actions of an irresponsible driver.