Hours of Service Violations in Texas Truck Accidents

Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers

Federal Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules are intended to prevent dangerous and deadly crashes caused by fatigue.  But the largest trucking companies in the nation collectively rack up thousands of HOS violations every year, ignoring and even circumventing the laws meant to protect everyone on the road.

The result is staggering. Fatigued drivers may be responsible for 40% of all commercial trucking accidents, per the National Highway Traffic Safety Board. And in Texas, the epicenter of the nation’s truck crash crisis, serious Hours-of-Service violations are surging, with more drivers placed out of service in 2025 for missing or falsified Records of Duty Status than in the previous two years — these are electronic logs required to track whether a driver was even legally allowed to be on the road.

With Billions won for accident victims, including record-breaking truck accident verdicts and settlements in complex cases involving fatigue, HOS violations, and falsified or missing Records of Duty status, our undefeated Texas truck accident lawyers have the proven record and resources to take on the largest trucking companies in the world and not just win, but secure the justice and maximum compensation that our clients deserve. Contact Zehl & Associates today at (888) 603-3636 for a free consultation.

Table of Contents

• How the Undefeated Trial Attorneys at Zehl & Associates Can Help After a Fatigue-Related Truck Crash
• What Are Hours of Service Rules? 
• Common Hours of Service (HOS) Violations
• What Happens When Trucking Companies Ignore Hours of Service Rules?
• Why HOS Violations Matter in a Truck Accident Lawsuit
• Critical Evidence in a Hours of Service Violation Lawsuit
• Record-Setting Verdicts & Settlements in Truck Accident Case Involving Fatigue Trucking Accidents
• Contact Our Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation at (888) 603-3636

How the Undefeated Trial Attorneys at Zehl & Associates Can Help After a Fatigue-Related Truck Crash

At Zehl & Associates, we’ve seen firsthand how far some trucking companies will go to avoid responsibility after a serious crash —immediately disputing the role fatigue played in the collision, attempting to explain away violations of federal safety regulations, and in many cases, even blaming innocent victims at the scene.

HOS cases are among the most complex truck accident cases, involving catastrophic injuries, highly contested electronic evidence, extensive expert analysis, and millions of dollars in damages. Our truck accident attorneys know how to expose safety failures, preserve critical evidence before it’s lost or destroyed, and hold every responsible party fully accountable.

When you hire Zehl & Associates, you choose a team that:

• Assembles a team of nationally recognized trial lawyers, accident reconstructionists, trucking safety experts, and medical specialists to investigate the crash, reconstruct what really happened, and prove how it could and should have been prevented.
• Recovers and preserves the critical evidence, including Electronic Logging Device (ELD) data, black box downloads, dash cam footage, GPS tracking, dispatch communications, fuel and toll records, payroll records, and maintenance files, before the trucking company can “lose” it.
• Exposes Hours of Service violations and the corporate decisions behind them, proving when trucking companies knowingly allowed exhausted drivers to remain behind the wheel or imposed impossible delivery schedules that encouraged federal safety violations.
• Prepares every case for trial from day one and refuses to accept anything less than the maximum compensation possible for all of our clients’ injuries and losses.
• Pursues punitive damages whenever the evidence shows gross negligence, holding every responsible party fully accountable for reckless decisions and helping prevent similar tragedies from happening to another family.
• Has won Billions for accident victims, including the #1 Largest Truck Accident Settlement in Texas and the #1 Largest Truck Accident Verdict in Texas.

Our commitment extends beyond the courtroom. We fight to recover the full compensation our clients deserve while helping them obtain the best medical care available, assisting with medical bills and reasonable case-related expenses while their cases are pending, and providing around-the-clock support — standing by them every step of the way.

Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.

What Are Hours of Service Rules? 

Federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are intended to keep fatigued truck and 18-wheeler drivers off the road for a reason. Fatigue is one of the most dangerous and underestimated impairments on the road. Studies have shown that driving after being awake for 18 hours is equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%, and after 24 hours that impairment doubles. 

Federal law strictly limits how long commercial drivers may operate before taking mandatory rest breaks. Under 49 CFR Part 395, truck drivers operating commercial vehicles weighing more than 10,001 pounds must comply with the following Hours of Service regulations.

11 Hour Driving Limit

After taking at least 10 consecutive hours off duty, a driver may drive for no more than 11 total hours before another qualifying off-duty period is required.

14 Hour On-Duty Window

The 11 hours of driving must occur within a 14-hour on-duty window that begins when the driver starts work. Once that 14-hour period expires, the driver generally cannot continue driving, even if they haven’t yet reached the full 11 hours of driving time.

60/70 Hour Weekly Limit

Drivers generally may not drive after accumulating 60 hours on duty in seven consecutive days or 70 hours in eight consecutive days, depending on the carrier’s operating schedule. A driver may only reset those available hours after taking a qualifying 34-hour restart.

30 Minute Break Requirement

Drivers must take at least one uninterrupted 30-minute break after eight cumulative hours of driving before continuing to operate their truck.

10 Hour Off-Duty Requirement

Before beginning a new driving shift, drivers generally must spend at least 10 consecutive hours completely off duty. This rest period is intended to give drivers sufficient time to sleep and recover before returning to the road.

Sleeper Berth Rule

Drivers using a sleeper berth may split their required off-duty time under limited circumstances. While the rule provides scheduling flexibility, it does not reduce the total amount of required rest or allow drivers to exceed the maximum driving limits.

Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)

Federal law requires most commercial drivers to use electronic logging devices that automatically record driving time and help track on-duty and off-duty hours. These systems were mandated to reduce falsified paper logbooks and make it easier for trucking companies and federal inspectors to identify Hours of Service violations. Unfortunately, technology alone hasn’t solved the problem.

Common Hours of Service (HOS) Violations

Hours of Service violations remain one of the most common — and entirely preventable — safety problems in the trucking industry. While drivers are responsible for accurately recording their hours, federal law also requires trucking companies to monitor, audit, and enforce compliance. Yet federal enforcement data shows that even the largest and most recognizable trucking companies and their drivers repeatedly violate these safety rules.

The most common HOS violations include:

Exceeding Federal Driving Limits

Driving beyond the 11-hour limit, exceeding the 14-hour driving window, violating weekly duty limits, or failing to take required rest breaks.

Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Violations

Falsifying logbooks, failing to maintain accurate Records of Duty Status, neglecting to certify electronic logs, or violating ELD record-keeping requirements.

Operating While Fatigued

Continuing to drive despite being too tired to operate safely. Drivers determined to be fatigued or in violation of Hours of Service regulations can be placed out of service, meaning they are legally prohibited from continuing to drive until they have obtained sufficient rest.

What Happens When Trucking Companies Ignore Hours of Service Rules?

During roadside inspections and crash investigations, law enforcement officers routinely examine Electronic Logging Device (ELD) records and other Hours of Service documentation. Drivers found to have falsified logbooks, exceeded federal driving limits, or violated other Hours of Service regulations can be placed out of service, meaning they are legally prohibited from operating a commercial vehicle until they comply with federal safety requirements. Trucking companies may also face civil penalties, enforcement actions, and increased regulatory scrutiny.

In 2025, Texas inspectors issued nearly 200 out-of-service violations during roadside inspections for drivers who exceeded federal driving limits. At the same time, they recorded tens of thousands of Electronic Logging Device (ELD) violations, including at least 6,790 of the most serious offenses involving falsified logbooks or missing Records of Duty Status — the electronic records required to verify how long a driver has been on the road.

However, even the most severe violations are not always consistently enforced at the roadside level. Our review of recent federal safety data involving several of the nation’s largest trucking companies found that drivers cited for severe HOS infractions were not consistently placed out of service, even when the violations suggested serious compliance failures.

When trucking companies allow exhausted drivers to stay behind the wheel, they’re not simply violating paperwork requirements. They’re disregarding rules specifically designed to prevent deadly crashes. 

Research supports just how dangerous those decisions can be. One study by the American Transportation Research Institute found that carriers with just four violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations more than double their risk of being involved in a future crash.

Why HOS Violations Matter in a Truck Accident Lawsuit

Hours of Service violations are some of the strongest evidence that a trucking company placed profits ahead of public safety.

But fatigue-related crashes rarely happen because of one bad decision by one truck driver. They are often the predictable result of impossible delivery schedules, inadequate supervision, negligent hiring, untreated obstructive sleep apnea, unrealistic productivity expectations, and trucking companies that ignore repeated warning signs in order to keep freight moving.

That’s why Hours of Service violations can dramatically strengthen a truck accident lawsuit. They don’t just show that a driver broke the rules. They often expose systemic safety failures and patterns of negligence involving dispatchers, safety directors, supervisors, and trucking companies that knowingly placed an exhausted driver behind the wheel.

How Hours of Service Violations Strengthen Your Case

• Helping establish fault by showing the driver and/or trucking company violated federal safety rules designed specifically to prevent fatigue-related crashes.
• Expanding the number of potentially responsible parties you can pursue compensation from
• Opening the door to punitive damages on top of your economic and non-economic damages
• Forcing trucking companies to pay full compensation in settlement negotiations or face us at trial, where we are fully prepared to present the evidence to a jury and have never lost a case. 

We work to hold every responsible party fully accountable, and ensure our clients recover the full compensation they need to rebuild their lives and move forward.

Critical Evidence in a Hours of Service Violation Lawsuit

Trucking companies don’t lose Hours of Service evidence by accident. In many cases, the records that most clearly establish fatigue, logbook fraud, and federal safety violations are the same records that disappear first.

That’s why our attorneys move immediately to secure electronic data before it can be overwritten, deleted, or conveniently blamed on a “system error.” We know that truck accident cases are won or lost based on the attorney’s understanding of the Federal Safety Regulations and onboard technology. And we know what evidence we need to prove your case, where to find it, and, most importantly, how to force the trucking company to give it to us.

Evidence we use in HOS violation truck accident lawsuits includes:

Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Data

While ELDs have made it harder to falsify records than paper logbooks, they don’t eliminate fraud. Our attorneys analyze edit histories, timestamps, certifications, and other metadata to expose altered records, missing driving time, and attempts to conceal Hours of Service violations after a crash.

GPS & Fleet Tracking Data

Unlike driver logbooks, third-party fleet management systems such as Samsara and Motive create an independent record of where a truck traveled, when it was moving, and how fast it was going. Because trucking companies can’t simply rewrite this data after a collision, GPS records often expose falsified electronic logs and prove a driver was still behind the wheel when the company claims they were off duty.

Engine Control Module (ECM) & Black Box Data

Black box and ECM downloads establish speed, braking, throttle position, engine hours, ignition cycles, and verify whether a driver exceeded legal driving limits. But this onboard data captures more than just movement — it often exposes the reckless decisions that led to a crash and inconsistencies between recorded activity and actual vehicle behavior.

Dash Cam Footage

Dash cams can capture a wide range of data, including driver-facing video and audio recordings of the driver as well as the timeline of the crash down to the second. Trucking companies often have internal policies that allow them to delete dash cam footage within days or even hours unless legal action is taken immediately.

Dispatch Records & Driver Communications

Dispatch messages, delivery appointments, and internal communications often reveal the truth behind a crash: the trucking company expected the driver to complete a route that simply couldn’t be done legally. When dispatchers knowingly assign impossible schedules or pressure drivers to “keep moving,” they’re encouraging violations of federal safety regulations long before a crash ever occurs.

Trip Plans, Bills of Lading & Delivery Records

Pickup appointments, delivery times, shipping documents, and customer records frequently expose schedules that could not have been completed without violating federal driving limits.

Fuel Receipts, Toll Records & Weigh Station Data

Time-stamped transactions create an independent timeline showing where a truck actually traveled and whether the driver’s logbook accurately reflects those movements.

Driver Pay Records

Many truck drivers are paid by the mile, not by the hour. Unfortunately, that pay structure often prioritizes productivity over safety, creating a financial incentive to skip rest breaks, exceed legal driving limits, or falsify electronic logs. Comparing payroll records to ELD data frequently reveals that drivers accurately reported their mileage to get paid while underreporting driving hours to appear compliant with federal regulations.

Cell Phone Records

Cell phone records frequently expose drivers who were texting, making calls, or actively using their phones during periods logged as mandatory rest. They also reveal a dangerous combination we see far too often: exhausted drivers who were both fatigued and distracted when they caused a devastating collision.

Driver Qualification & Medical Files

Our investigations don’t stop with driving hours. Driver qualification files, medical certifications, and sleep studies may reveal untreated sleep apnea, prior fatigue-related incidents, or other medical conditions that should have disqualified a driver from operating an 80,000-pound commercial truck. When a carrier ignores those warning signs, it shares responsibility for the crash.

Police Reports & Witness Statements

Initial investigations frequently document signs of driver fatigue, admissions made at the scene, or witness observations that support other electronic evidence. When the police report is wrong, an experienced attorney knows how to prevent it from costing you the justice you deserve.

Record-Setting Verdicts & Settlements in Truck Accident Case Involving Fatigue Trucking Accidents

Our Undefeated Truck Accident Lawyers have extensive experience representing the victims of fatigue-related truck crashes across Texas, ensuring that justice is served when Hours of Service violations lead to catastrophic injuries and loss.

•  $35 million settlement for a family whose loved one was tragically killed by a fatigued truck driver on Interstate 35 in Dallas, Texas. We uncovered and proved that the truck driver had untreated sleep apnea and was never cleared for driving at night.
• $32 million settlement or a family who suffered severe injuries after being struck head-on by an oilfield truck driver who fell asleep at the wheel in West Texas.
• $23.5 million settlement for a client who was severely injured and lost his wife in a head-on collision with a fatigued and distracted truck driver in Brazoria County, Texas.
• Groundbreaking sleep study order — we’re proud to be the first law firm in Texas to successfully obtain a court order requiring a commercial truck or bus driver to undergo an overnight sleep study, setting a legal precedent that is driving industry-wide change and helping to prevent future crashes.

Our record-breaking results for victims of fatigued commercial drivers send a clear message to trucking companies: You will not get away with ignoring safety violations when Zehl & Associates is on the case.

Contact Our Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation at (888) 603-3636

If you were injured in a truck accident involving driver fatigue, Hours-of-Service violations, or other federal safety violations, our Texas Truck Accident Lawyers can immediately protect your rights and begin preserving critical evidence. With Billions recovered and the #1 Largest Truck and 18-Wheeler Accident Settlements in history, we don’t just win for truck and 18-wheeler accident victims – We Set Records.

Contact us today for a free consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by sending a confidential email through our Contact Us page.

We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights, and make sure you have the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.

All consultations are free, and you won’t pay a dime unless we win your case.