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What the logs show
Most trucks now use electronic logging devices that record the driver’s duty status automatically when the truck moves. The record shows driving time, on-duty time that is not driving, off-duty time and time in the sleeper berth. It also shows where the truck was at different points during the day, which helps put the driver’s work hours on a timeline.
Under federal rules, a property-carrying driver may drive at most 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, may not drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty and must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving. The log shows whether the driver stayed within those limits on the day of the crash and the days before it.
Checking the logs against other records
Logs can be edited, and drivers can sometimes record time as off duty when they were working. That is why the logs are compared with fuel and toll receipts, bills of lading, delivery times, GPS data, dispatch messages and phone records. A delivery signed while the log says the driver was resting is a red flag.
Carriers must keep records of duty status and the supporting documents behind them. Supporting documents can include receipts and dispatch records that show the truck’s actual movements. Read truck black box and dashcam evidence for other data sources that can confirm or contradict the logs. When the records do not match, the gap itself becomes evidence.
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Fatigue beyond the hour limits
A driver can stay inside the hour limits and still be too tired to drive. Federal rules separately prohibit operating a truck while too fatigued or ill to drive safely (49 C.F.R. 392.3). Short off-duty periods, irregular night shifts and long commutes before a shift can all point to fatigue. See proving a truck driver fell asleep.
Carriers also keep a qualification file on each driver, including the medical examiner’s certificate (49 C.F.R. 391.51). The FMCSA posts each carrier’s inspection and out-of-service data publicly (FMCSA SAFER), which can show past hours-of-service violations. Read how to look up a trucking company’s safety record to check a carrier yourself before you talk to anyone.
What to do now
Get medical care and keep every appointment. Photograph the truck, its USDOT number and company name, and write down the time and place of the crash, which help match the logs later. Get witness names and numbers, the police report number and each claim number you are given. If you remember where the truck came from or was headed, write that down too.
Do not sign a release or give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer before talking to a lawyer. Keep receipts and records of missed work. The general deadline to file an injury lawsuit in California is two years (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1). In Washington it is generally three years (RCW 4.16.080).
How Beverly Law can help
We send a written request for the logs and supporting documents right away, then line them up against receipts, GPS and dispatch records to find gaps. When the driver was working, the trucking company is generally responsible for the driver’s negligence in California (CACI No. 3700). If the driver owned the truck, see owner-operators and company drivers.
You owe no fees or costs unless we win. Learn more on our California truck accident lawyer page or read how long a truck accident lawsuit takes. The first conversation is free, and our team speaks Spanish. We explain each step in plain language and keep you updated. Call (310) 552-6959 or use the form on this page.
Common questions
Can a trucking company delete driver logs after a crash?
Carriers must keep records of duty status and supporting documents for six months. To avoid any argument later about what was kept, a lawyer should send a written request to preserve the logs right away, before anything is lost or overwritten.
What are the hours-of-service limits for truck drivers?
For property-carrying drivers, at most 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, no driving beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty, and a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving. A lawyer can check which limits applied to your driver.
How do I get a truck driver’s logs?
Usually through your lawyer. A written request asks the carrier to preserve the logs, and once a lawsuit is filed the company can be required to produce them. Insurers rarely hand them over voluntarily during the early claim stage.
What if the logs look fine but the driver was clearly tired?
Logs can be wrong, and a driver can be tired even within the limits. Fuel receipts, GPS data, phone records and delivery times can show the real schedule. Witness accounts and crash data, such as no braking before impact, can also point to fatigue.
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Related pages
Can I sue a truck driver for hitting me? · Who is liable in a truck accident: the driver, the trucking company or the broker? · Rear-ended by a semi truck: what to do · Hit by a semi truck on the freeway: your rights · Jackknife truck accident: who is at fault? · All car and truck accident questions
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Important: This page is general information about California and Washington law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Last reviewed: November 5, 2026.