Missouri Man Injured When Vehicle Rear-Ends Tractor Trailer
A man sustained minor injuries in a truck accident in Lawrence County, Missouri when his vehicle rear-ended a tractor-trailor. The driver of the vehicle was taken to the hospital after he lost control of his vehicle, misjudged the distance between the vehicles, and ran into a tractor-trailer. Tractor-trailers are among a class that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration separates in terms of regulations and guidelines.
The FMCSA establishes tractor-trailer safety guidelines by evaluating a trucks:
1. size
2. weight
3. route destination
4. length
5. width
The length of tractor-trailers is often a point of confusion because as trailers are added onto various types vehicles, the overall guidelines in terms length may seem to vary to the average citizen. The FMCSA provides tractor-trailer regulations and information at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/. The FMCSA has the following guidelines for length involving tractor-trailors:
(a) The length provisions of the STAA apply only to the following types of vehicle combinations:
(1) Truck tractor–semitrailer
(2) Truck tractor–semitrailer–trailer.
The length provisions apply only when these combinations are in use on the National Network or in transit between these highways and terminals or service locations
The length provisions referred to in paragraph of this section include the following:
(1) No State shall impose a length limitation of less than 48 feet on a semitrailer operating in a truck tractor–semitrailer combination.
(2) No State shall impose a length limitation of less than 28 feet on any semitrailer or trailer operating in a truck tractor–semitrailer–trailer combination.
(3) No State shall impose an overall length limitation on commercial vehicles operating in truck tractor–semitrailer or truck tractor–semitrailer–trailer combinations.
(4) No State shall prohibit commercial motor vehicles operating in truck tractor–semitrailer–trailer combinations.
(5) No State shall prohibit the operation of semitrailers or trailers which are 281/2 feet long when operating in a truck tractor–semitrailer–trailer combination if such a trailer or semitrailer was in actual and lawful operation on December 1, 1982, and such combination had an overall length not exceeding 65 feet.
(c) State maximum length limits for semitrailers operating in a truck tractor–semitrailer combination and semitrailers and trailers operating in a truck tractor–semitrailer–trailer combination are subject to the following:
(1) No State shall prohibit the use of trailers or semitrailers of such dimensions as those that were in actual and lawful use in such State on December 1, 1982, as set out in appendix B of this part.
(2) If on December 1, 1982, State length limitations on a semitrailer were described in terms of the distance from the kingpin to rearmost axle, or end of semitrailer, the operation of any semitrailer that complies with that limitation must be allowed.
(d) No State shall impose a limit of less than 45 feet on the length of any bus on the NN.
As an experienced Missouri tractor-trailer accident lawyer, I am happy to discuss your case with you and answer any questions you may have. If requested, I will immediately alert our accident investigation team and immediately take action in your defense.
The call and consultation are free. I can be reached 24 hours a day at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.800.500.INJURY (4658). Call me personally and I will answer all the questions and concerns you may have. There is no fee unless we recover for you.
If you don’t want to call or you can't call, you can email me at john@pagecagle.com. I look forward to speaking with you and helping you through these trying times. You can also visit my website, www.MissouriTractorTrailerCrash.com for more information.
