What Is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the leading federal government agency regulating commercial motor vehicles.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the agency’s mission is “To reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.” This mission statement underscores the FMCSA’s role in enhancing road safety through stringent regulations and oversight of the commercial transportation industry.
The benefits of the FMCSA’s regulations include improved road safety, reduced accident rates involving CMVs, and enhanced driver health and welfare. These regulations also promote fair competition among carriers by ensuring that all operators adhere to the same safety standards.
Examples of the FMCSA’s work include setting hours-of-service (HOS) regulations that limit the number of hours a commercial driver can operate to prevent fatigue-related accidents, conducting compliance reviews and safety audits of motor carriers, and maintaining the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) to ensure that drivers meet federal standards. Understanding the FMCSA’s role and regulations is crucial for commercial drivers and motor carriers to ensure compliance and contribute to safer roadways.
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What Percentage of Work Zone Related Accidents Involve Large Trucks?
When you drive by a work zone on a main road or highway, you’ll likely see several large trucks on your route: dump trucks, garbage 
trucks, heavy trucks, oversized trucks, tractor trailers, and more. Construction workers use these large vehicles to pave roads, fix potholes, and even build new parts of the highway. While these massive motor vehicles are essential to construction work, they are inherently dangerous and can cause devastating harm to passenger vehicle drivers on the road.
We’re going to talk about the statistics on large trucks, work zone accidents, fatal crashes, how to avoid an accident, and what to do if you’ve been in an accident with a large commercial truck in a work zone.
If you have more questions, the Munley Law truck accident lawyers are standing by. We offer a free consultation where we will discuss your story, offer expert legal advice, […]
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How Long Can Truck Drivers Drive Without Resting?
Studies suggest that 30 to 40 percent of all truck accidents result from driver fatigue. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving contributes to more than 50,000 accidents per year, resulting in serious injury and death.
Knowing how unsafe drowsy driving can be, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has created regulations commercial truck drivers must follow for how many consecutive hours they can be behind the wheel before needing a break.
Hours of Service Rules for Truck Drivers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has created hours of service regulations (HOS) for both property-carrying and passenger-carrying drivers. These rules are meant to protect truck drivers from overwork while also limiting adverse driving conditions for other motor vehicles.
It’s important to understand that drivers do not have set hours like we may have in a 9-to-5 job setting. […]
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Why Do Semi-Trucks Have Spikes on Their Wheels?
While driving down the highway, you may notice the semi-trucks beside you have what looks like spikes coming off their tire rims. But what purpose do those spike studs hold, and what happens if you get into an accident with a truck driver and those spikes cause damage?
Munley Law explains the purpose of these lug nut covers and your rights in semi-truck accidents.
What Are Wheel Spikes on Semi Trucks?
Spikes on the wheels of semi-trucks are lug nut covers. They are meant to protect lug nuts from debris and corrosion over time but also have aesthetic appeal.
While wheel spikes look intimidating, they are often made of weaker metals like aluminum alloys and even sometimes plastic. So, if your vehicle came into contact with one, the worst that would happen is a few scratches on your car. […]
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How Many Truck Accidents Are There in a Year?
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there are approximately 500,000 truck accidents in the United States each year. This substantial number of accidents underscores the critical importance of understanding the factors contributing to truck crashes and the measures needed to enhance road safety for all users.
Trucks are a common sight on US roadways. Commercial vehicles alone make up a significant portion. The trucking industry has a duty of care in transporting billions of tons of freight each year, a major part of the US economy. Over 3.5 million American truck driversare employed in the United States, and trucks make up 5% of all registered vehicles in the US. If that does not sound high to you, consider how heavy trucks are. A big rig with a tractor-trailer may weigh up to 80,000 pounds, while the average car weighs less than 10,000. […]
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Mobile apps for truckers
Technology and the modern truck driver
When Apple first introduced the iPhone in 2007, we could not have predicted how significantly smartphones would change our world. Of course as the technology has improved over the years, so has the number and quality of mobile applications (“apps”) on both iOS (AppStore) and Android (Google Play) operations systems. But did you know there exists a large subculture of apps for truckers? Below, we’ll outline some of the popular apps designed specifically for truckers.
Note: Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys does not encourage truck drivers to use their smartphones while they are driving – there is no room for error on the road and distractions already abound. It is a way to endanger your life and the lives of others. If you do use one or more of the apps described here, please be sure to access them before you hit the road or at a rest stop – […]
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