Driving a commercial truck takes special training and licensing, and for good reason. These vehicles can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and handle very differently from regular cars. When a trucking company puts an unqualified driver behind the wheel, they’re putting every other person on the road at risk of being the victim of a severe truck accident.
Federal and state rules set clear standards for who is allowed to drive a commercial truck. Learn more about how these rules work below, including what your legal rights and options are if you were involved in a collision. A commercial truck accident attorney in Nashville can help if you were harmed by someone else’s negligence behind the wheel.
What Makes a Truck Driver “Qualified” Under Federal Law?
The FMCSA requires every commercial truck driver to meet certain standards before they can legally get behind the wheel. A driver who falls short of even one of these may be considered unqualified. Some of the main requirements include:
- Holding a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with the right endorsements for the type of vehicle and cargo
- Being at least 21 years old to drive across state lines
- Passing a DOT physical exam and being cleared to drive
- Completing both a written knowledge test and a road skills test
- Having a clean driving record with no disqualifying offenses like a DUI
Trucking companies must check these qualifications before hiring a driver and keep records proving they did. If they skip this step, the carrier can face serious liability when an accident happens.
How Unqualified Drivers Cause Accidents
A driver without proper training is far more likely to make dangerous mistakes. For example, they may not know how to handle a truck’s longer stopping distance or how to take sharp turns safely with a heavy load. Tasks like merging onto highways and driving through work zones all take hands-on experience that an unqualified driver just doesn’t have.
Sometimes, a driver has a medical condition that should have kept them off the road during the DOT screening process. Poor vision, for example, makes it extremely dangerous for someone to operate a large truck.
The trucking company often shares at least some of the blame in these cases. Carriers that skip background checks and rush new hires onto the road without enough training are choosing their profits over public safety.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer at Woodard Injury Law
If you were involved in an accident with a commercial truck in Tennessee, the driver’s qualifications are one of the first things worth looking into. Woordard Injury Law can help you determine who’s at fault, and, from there, work to put as much compensation into your pocket as possible under the law.
Call us today at (615) 314-4626 to get started with a free consultation. We’ve recovered millions of dollars for our clients to date and will work just as hard on your case. We also work on a contingency fee basis, which means you only pay attorney’s fees if we secure compensation on your behalf.