The Truckers’ Rights Experts   

Whether you’re an over-the-road trucker who spends days on the nation’s highways or a short-haul driver picking up and delivering loads locally, you have a right to demand that your vehicle is safe and that you’re not forced to drive excessive hours.

Federal law protects your right to voice your concerns without fear of retaliation. 

Whistleblower laws protect you if you need to blow the whistle on an unsafe or illegal workplace. These laws say you may not be punished for bringing to light unsafe or illegal work conditions.

Buckley Bala Wilson Mew’s team of trucking law specialists is on hand to help guarantee your rights to a safe workplace, even if that workplace is an 18-wheeler that you often call home.

Know Your Rights 

Trucking is a heavily regulated industry, and regardless of whether you’re a long-haul driver or making local deliveries the weight and size of your truck determines whether you’re covered by the STAA, whose provisions are in turn subject to enforcement by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 

The Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) is one of the main tools for protecting truckers’ rights. The act guarantees that truck drivers and operators may not be punished for speaking up about safety concerns, onerous work requirements including demands that they drive in bad weather or for longer hours than those allowed under the law.

Driver concerns can run the gamut from being asked to drive trucks with faulty brakes, windshield wipers or headlights, or being disciplined or even blacklisted for insisting on compliance with federal standards.

In addition to posing a hazard to truckers and other motorists, being forced to drive an unsafe rig can also expose the driver to personal liability if there’s an accident. 

It’s important to raise your concerns and document them carefully, since many such disputes wind up being handled by administrative law judges, in procedures that resemble mini-court trials in which each side can present evidence and interview witnesses. 

Trucking companies and owners may try to shift blame to drivers, claiming that they’re simply making excuses for poor job performance instead of acknowledging that shoddy equipment is the cause for late deliveries and breakdowns, so it’s important to file complaints in a timely manner. 

When you need exceptional advocacy, call (404) 781-1100 today or request your case evaluation online.