A truck accident investigation aims to determine why a wreck happened, how it could have been avoided, and who’s at fault. One of the most important pieces of evidence obtained during an investigation is the truck driver’s logbook.
Long ago, truck drivers would keep physical logs of their status and hours driven. Today, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations require trucking companies to install electronic logging devices (ELDs) on their rigs to encourage compliance and honest reporting.
Logbook data can provide clear insight into a driver’s behavior and often identify critical violations that directly contribute to accidents. Records of Duty (RODs) track driver behavior in 24-hour increments.
One of the first things an experienced Austin truck accident attorney will do is send a preservation letter to the trucking company to ensure the data on the ELDs and RODs aren’t overwritten before they can be properly reviewed by independent parties.
What Does the Driver’s Logbook Track?
The logbook’s main purpose is to track a truck driver’s hours of service. Driving a large commercial truck is physically and mentally taxing, so truck drivers should take breaks at regular intervals.
Driver fatigue can set in quickly and make it difficult for drivers to concentrate, react to changes in traffic, and stay alert. The FMCSA has strict limits on how many hours a truck driver can spend behind the wheel without taking breaks or being off duty.
The logbook tracks relevant information, including:
- Miles traveled
- Hours spent behind the wheel
- Time spent inspecting the truck
- Time spent loading and/or unloading cargo
- Shift start and end times
- Breaks
- Off-duty time
This data can provide insight into driver habits and behavior, as well as document violations of FMCSA regulations that may have contributed to an accident.
How Can Logbook Data Be Used as Evidence in a Truck Accident Case?
Sometimes logbook data can prove a direct violation of an FMCSA safety regulation, and other times it can be used with other evidence to build a profile of driver negligence. When crash victims face severe losses, a skilled truck accident lawyer can use this information to establish clear liability.
For instance, an analysis of logbook data might indicate that a driver was speeding if they logged more miles than they should have in a given shift.
In other situations, the logbook might show that a driver skipped a mandatory break or exceeded the number of driving hours permitted by FMCSA regulations, which could be used to demonstrate a driver’s impairment, state of mind, or limited function at the time of a collision.
Experienced truck accident attorneys know how to cross-reference ELD data with GPS records, toll booth receipts, and fuel purchases to uncover logbook falsification or safety violations.
Dow Law Firm Knows How to Use Logbooks to Support Winning Truck Accident Claims
When you get into a large truck accident in Texas, it’s important to work with an Austin truck accident attorney who has extensive experience handling cases like yours.
At Dow Law Firm, our team of truck accident lawyers has decades of collective experience representing clients who’ve been seriously injured in accidents with big rigs, tractor-trailers, and other large commercial trucks. We know that logbook data is some of the most important evidence in a truck accident case.
When you ask for our help, our truck accident attorneys can move quickly to preserve logbook evidence, analyze the data, and pinpoint information that can be used alone or in concert with other evidence to prove the truck driver was negligent and caused your injuries.
We offer a free consultation, so contact our truck accident lawyers in Austin or one of our other service areas at (512) 240-9951 to discuss your truck accident case today.