D. Evidence & Regulations
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Elena Vance, J.D.
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10 min read
Hours-of-Service Violations: Proving Driver Fatigue and Carrier Coercion
Driver fatigue is involved in over 30% of commercial truck collisions. Learn how forensic lawyers cross-examine ELD logs, toll receipts, and dispatch timestamps to expose illegal hours-of-service violations.
Key Legal Takeaways
- Property-carrying commercial drivers are capped at 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour duty window.
- Dispatchers who coerce drivers into violating federal limits face severe punitive damages under Texas CPRC § 41.003.
- ELD telematics data must be preserved before carrier automatic overwrites occur.
Auditing Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Data
Since the federal ELD mandate took effect, commercial trucks record engine runtime, vehicle motion, and GPS locations automatically. Cross-referencing ELD logs with bill-of-lading timestamps reveals falsified off-duty entries.