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Heard on the CB

Keep Your Eyes on the Road: Texting and Phone Rules for Truckers

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Texting while driving a commercial vehicle has been banned by federal rule for over a decade, and hand-held phone use is banned too. Both rules apply to every driver of a truck or bus that needs a CDL or hauls placarded hazardous materials, and they put responsibility on the carrier as well as the driver.

What the rules say

  • No texting. A driver may not text while driving, which includes reading or composing a message, using a keyboard, or any other typing on a device (49 CFR 392.80). This rule took effect in 2010.
  • No hand-held phones. A driver may not hold a phone to make a call, dial by pressing more than one button, or reach for a phone in a way that takes the driver out of a normal seated, belted position (49 CFR 392.82). This rule took effect in 2012. Hands-free use with a single touch or voice dialing is allowed.
  • Carriers too. A motor carrier may not allow or require a driver to text or use a hand-held phone while driving.

The cost of a violation

FMCSA's fact sheet lists civil penalties of up to $2,750 for a driver and up to $11,000 for a carrier that allows or requires it, and these amounts are adjusted for inflation, so today's figures can be higher. A driver convicted of two violations within three years can be disqualified from driving a commercial vehicle for 60 days, and three violations for 120 days. States also have their own distracted-driving laws and fines. Violations count against the carrier's record, which affects its safety scores and insurance.

Why it matters

FMCSA-funded research (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2009) found that drivers who text take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. At 55 miles per hour that is the length of a football field without looking at the road.

Practical steps

  • Set up dispatch and navigation before you roll. Pull over to read or send anything.
  • Use voice dialing and a hands-free headset, with the phone mounted within reach.
  • If you run a fleet, put the rule in writing and make sure drivers and dispatchers know it. Dispatchers should not expect replies from a moving truck.

Sources: FMCSA Mobile Phone Restrictions Fact Sheet and No Texting Rule Fact Sheet. Check them for the current penalty amounts.