U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) recently stated his support for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) proposal to provide flexibility under its Hours of Service regulations for all types of commercial drivers.
Hoeven also sent a letter to the FMCSA urging it to provide regulatory relief.
“We encourage all industries impacted by these rules to submit feedback to DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) within 30 days to ensure the final rule promotes better road safety and adequately addresses the challenges our nation’s drivers face,” Hoeven said. “At the same time, we will continue advancing our reform efforts in the Senate, while also delaying the ELD (electronic logging devices) regulations until we have a permanent solution in place.”
FMCSA’s proposal revises the mandatory 30-minute break for truck drivers after eight hours of continuous driving, extends drive times for those delayed by adverse weather, and expands the current 100 air-mile “short-haul” exemption from 12 hours on-duty to 14 hours on-duty to be consistent with the rules for long-haul truck drivers. It also reinstates the option for splitting up the required 10-hour off-duty rest break for drivers operating trucks that are equipped with a sleeper-berth compartment.
The agency’s proposal is supported by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA).
“The trucking industry is in a situation where we have never had more regulations and greater enforcement and compliance. Yet, truck-related crash numbers are going in the wrong direction. It’s time for a new approach,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said. “The agency is finally listening, and now the door is open for truckers to make their voices heard and to spur real, common-sense changes to the hours-of-service regulations.”