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An August 2, 2013 ruling in federal court upheld the recent hours-of-service rule for truckers, with one exception – 30 minute breaks for short haul drivers. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled on the matter and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) will no longer be enforcing the short breaks for short-haulers.
The thirty minute break which the hours-of-service rule required for all drivers after 8 hours on-duty, will no longer apply to short haulers. Short haul truck drivers are defined as all drivers, CDL and non-CDL, who operate within 100 air-miles of their work reporting location. Non-CDL truckers have a 150 mile radius.
The court dismissed arguments against the 34-hour restart restriction and the requirement that it include two 1:00 to 5:00 a.m. periods. “Federal agencies can make such changes if reasonable justification is provided and this reflected a changed understanding of how the 34-hour restart is used in practice,” the judge wrote in a statement.
