Truck, Big Rig & Tractor Trailer Safety Regulations
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was created in 1980 to regulate big rig, tractor and trailer trucks. These regulations spell out the responsibilities of drivers and expectations of the public who drive on the roads with these trucks. An attorney must be not only familiar with these regulations but fluent in them.
The trend of trucking deregulation that started over 20 years ago has not materially changed original regulatory schemes governing required insurance and financial responsibility. Motor carriers operating under federal permits and intrastate carriers operating under state authority must still secure liability coverage in order to maintain an operating permit or otherwise provide proof of ability to self insure. Typically statutory coverage of this nature is implemented through a two-part process which involves a public filing and an endorsement. Motor carriers or their insurers will make a filing with the appropriate agency as proof that insurance coverage has been issued conforming to the applicable regulation or statute. The endorsement conforms the motor carrier's coverage to the relevant requirements of the law governing the truckers' operations. In this manner, the insurance is extended to protect the public from accidents or negligent operations.
