U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched two new pilot programs on Tuesday that he said would improve trucker working conditions and quality of life.
The initiatives through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will study increased flexibility in the current hours-of-service regulations, officials said. The announcement was made as part of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Officials said if successful the initiative will give drivers more control over their own schedule and will reduce fatigue and improve safety.
“Truck drivers are the backbone of our economy, and we owe it to them to explore smarter, data-driven policies that make their jobs safer and more enjoyable,” Duffy said. “These pilot programs will help identify real solutions for America’s drivers without compromising safety.”
The first initiative, the Split Duty Period pilot program, would let participating drivers pause their 14-hour “driving window” for between 30 minutes and three hours. The program will collect data so the FMCSA can assess whether adding flexibility will maintain or improve safety outcomes.
The second initiative, the Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot program will look into whether additional sleeper berth split options, beyond the current 8/1 and 7/3 configurations. FMCSA will test the safety implications of letting drivers divide their 10-hour off-duty requirements into 6/4 and 5/5 split periods. The research will look into how the alternatives affect driver fatigue and overall safety performance, and whether a wider range of rest options could benefit drivers while protecting the public.
The programs are part of the Pro-Trucker Package Duffy unveiled in June to support President Donald Trump’s Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers. The package includes millions in investment for expanded truck parking, modernized driver resources, regulatory reforms and efforts to crack down on bad actors.