Federal Trucking Rules That Matter Here
Driver logs and the six-month clock
A motor carrier only has to keep each driver’s records of duty status and the documents supporting them for six months (49 CFR 395.8(k)). After that they can be thrown out lawfully, and an hours-of-service violation gets much harder to prove. A preservation letter sent early stops them from disappearing in the normal course of business.
Reading the cab door
A commercial truck covered by the federal rules has to show the operating carrier’s name and USDOT number on both sides, readable from 50 feet in daylight (49 CFR 390.21). Around a building site the truck may belong to a subcontractor rather than the builder named on the lot sign, which is why one photo of the door can decide who gets sued.
Coverage floors for interstate carriers
A for-hire carrier hauling ordinary freight across state lines in a truck rated at 10,001 pounds or more has to carry at least $750,000 in public liability coverage, and some hazardous cargo requires as much as $5,000,000 (49 CFR 387.9). Our Utah truck accident claims guide walks through how those layers fit together.
Several companies, several policies
A construction crash in Herriman often involves a chain of businesses: the developer, the general contractor, the subcontractor who booked the hauling, and the hauler. Each may carry its own insurance, and responsibility can follow whoever controlled the driver or the site. Untangling that is part of the first weeks of work, not something to leave for later.
Spilled loads and trucks that keep going
Rock flying off an uncovered load and a truck that never stops are both familiar Herriman complaints. A vehicle that leaves the scene and is never identified is treated as uninsured, so your own uninsured motorist coverage may respond (§ 31A-22-305). If it never touched you or your car, that statute requires clear and convincing proof of the truck’s existence beyond your own testimony, so dashcam footage or a witness matters a great deal.