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Commercial Carrier Journal reported that trucking shareholders outlined shortcomings in the new hour-of service regulation on behalf of fleets, owner-operators, and the enforcement sector at a House subcommittee hearing this week, where Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) representative Ann Ferro defended the regulation while safety advocates said the rules aren’t restrictive enough.
The FMCSA recently passed a rule limiting the amount of time a driver can spend behind the wheel. The trucking industry argues that this rule will worsen the current driver shortage and hurt consumers’ wallets, while safety organizations say that the regulations don’t do enough to protect the roads from driver fatigue.
The Truck Driver Hours-of-Service Legislation
Truck drivers will see the rule go into effect July 1, and it will be enforced by millions of random road inspections done each year. Drivers caught exceeding the maximum limits will be taken off the road and their company could face fines. After July 1, drivers will then be able to drive 12 fewer hours a week and be obligated to take consistent 34-hour rest periods that include pre-dawn hours of two consecutive days.
Because drivers are more productive when the roads are empty, the second part of the regulation has agitated the trucking industry. Trucking companies say that the regulations hinder the trade’s flexibility which has been an advantage over other shipping options.
President of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Mark Savage said roadside inspections are a proactive program while compliance reviews are an after-the-fact review. ”While the hours-of-service regulations are designed to help the driver obtain quality rest, each of the new rules can be easily disguised or falsified,” Savage said.
Thomas Petri, Chairman of the Highway Subcommittee said trucking entities have told him “a one-size-fits-all approach won’t provide the flexibility some companies need to take the appropriate rest breaks.”
Not to mention that truck drivers encounter various situations that lie entirely out of their control like traffic complications, poor weather and being delayed by shippers. The rule hampers the flexibility of truck drivers to work around extenuating circumstances.
While the new regulations decreased the maximum hours a truck driver could work from 82 hours per week to 70 hours, and orders the 34-hour “restart” requirement, the daily driving limit remains at 11 hours, even with opposition from safety groups wanting to lower it to 10 hours.
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