The Long Haul: Truck Drivers Need Rest and a Better Pay System

Motorists on Virginia’s highways are usually wary of those huge 18-wheelers, sensing that any accident with one of these monster trucks would result in annihilation. 

If the crash is caused by the motorist, the truck driver still has a chance to brake, swerve, or otherwise avoid a direct impact, but if the accident is caused by a truck driver dozing off, distracted, or out of focus, the result can be devastating. Many accidents with large trucks in Virginia can be attributed to mistakes made by sleepy, exhausted truck drivers.

There are several reasons for this. Even though there are detailed rules limiting hours of service and rest periods for interstate truck drivers, enforcement of these rules is patchy at best. Truckers have to keep the hours in a logbook detailing when they drive, do other duties, sleep, or are off-duty. These logbooks are easy to tamper with and do not offer serious safety guarantees. Yet the main cause of truck driver fatigue is to be found in their pay system. Interstate truckers are paid by the mile, which means that:

• Drivers are not paid when they lose time waiting for cargo at a pick-up point, are stuck in traffic jam, or need to service their truck. They will drive for long hours afterwards to make up for the lost time, even though they have been on-duty for an excessively long time.
• Truckers never know whether they will have return cargo or other work in the coming days and will take whatever new freight is offered without considering their state of exhaustion and need to rest.
• Oftentimes, truck drivers are given a short deadline to deliver their cargo, which prevents them from taking it easy and increases their stress level.
• Truck drivers often cannot afford to refuse a cargo haul even if it requires driving at night and they have accumulated a large sleep deficit.

With a pay system geared towards maximizing a truck driver’s productivity, the only way to prevent abuse and keep both truck drivers and Virginia motorists safe is to strictly control and enforce the hours-of-service rules. Electronic on-board recorders installed in every interstate operating truck would be a good way to start.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Virginia car, truck, or motorcycle accident, please contact our Warrenton or Culpeper attorneys today for a free discussion of your accident case. You will have a clear view if and how our lawyers can help protect your rights.