Trucking News: FMCSA Publishes Final HOS Rule, but did it help?
In trucking News: The FMCSA’s final rule changes to hours-of-service are intended to increase flexibility for truck drivers. But do they really help?
The final rule announced by FMCSA Acting Administrator Jim Mullen on May 14. Check it out here. This rule includes four revisions that pertain to issues truckers have voiced concerns about. The revisions, Mullen said, are the result of 8,000 public comments and made to add “needed flexibility in the lives of America’s truckers.”
The final rule is effective September 29, 2020. The Final Rule features four major changes to existing HOS regulations:
1) Expanding the short-haul exception to 150 air-miles and allowing a 12 to 14-hour work shift to take place as part of the exception.
2) The Agency will modify the driving window during adverse driving conditions, by up to an additional 2 hours.
3) Allowing a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving time by a driver using on-duty. This on duty, not driving status eliminates the requirement of off-duty statuses only.
4) Modifying the sleeper berth exception to allow a driver to meet the 10-hour minimum off-duty requirement by allowing a split. An 8/2 split, or a 7/3 split—with neither period counting against the driver’s 14 hour driving window. This is provided the two periods total at least 10 hours
What does the Trucking Industry think of this news?
When looking up these new rules in trucking news, many complaints are found. One of the biggest complaints from truckers is that the FMCSA did not address the problem of racing against the 14 hour clock with an option to pause. Others said that the new rules are an improvement in terms of flexibility but that the regulators did not do enough to help truckers. Many of these complaints have flooded across social media. Where as Groups like the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) have spoken out in favor of the HOS changes.
Some have expressed concern about the final rule’s potential to impact safety. “It’s important to note that this new rule will not increase driving time. It will continue to prevent CMV operators from driving for more than eight consecutive hours without at least a 30-minute change in duty status.” Jim Mullen added.
What are your thoughts to this recent trucking news? Did this change really address the needs of the trucking community, or is it another Band-Aid attempt?
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