Trucks World News

May 27, 2016

TRUCKERS' * USA: Congress HOS debates

* DC - House panel advances transpo bill with trucking riders

... Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) amendment would have removed language placing additional requirements on the DOT before it can implement a regulation that tweaks the 34-hour “restart” period for commercial truck drivers — an amount of off-duty time that drivers must take in order to reset their driving limit after they reach their maximum... The proposed regulation would require every restart period to include two nights in that break, with no driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., as well as only allow truckers to use one restart per week... But appropriators again included language in this year’s spending bill requiring DOT to prove that that regulation is beneficial to drivers’ health and safety before they can implement it... His amendment also would have removed provisions preempting state laws on commercial trucking meal and rest breaks and barring funds from being used in California on the construction of a high-speed rail system...
(Photo: Capitol Hill by night) -- Washington, DC, USA - The Hill, by Melanie Zanona - 24 May 2016

Labels: HOS debates

Feb 22, 2016

PAY DRIVERS PER MILE or adding TIME SPENT WAITING ? * USA: Trucking debates

* DC - Trucking groups make push for Federal Law on driver rules. Democratics lawmakers oppose a provision that would make it harder for drivers to sue for back pay under state laws

-- The trucking industry is stepping up efforts to pass legislation that would curb the ability of states to regulate the business and make it harder for drivers to sue their employers for back pay... The trucking industry has been battling states for the last several years, especially in California and Washington, over how far the states can go in regulating how truck drivers are paid and how often they must rest. Several states require employers to pay employees for time spent waiting to load and unload, while most trucking companies pay drivers by the mile, or what’s known as a piece rate... In recent years, thousands of truck drivers have sued the large trucking companies that employ them, claiming in class action cases they are owed back pay for time spent refueling, taking meal and rest breaks or loading shipments... The language in the aviation bill being considered would likely halt lawsuits for back pay brought by drivers in California. A similar provision, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Denham (R., Calif.) was included in the House version of the highway funding bill, but was dropped from the final version before it was passed and then signed into law by President Barack Obama in December... State lawmakers and plaintiffs’ lawyers say the issue is about fair pay and that state labor laws must be followed on top of federal instate commerce statutes...
(PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS - One Democratic lawmakers, Pete DeFazio of Oregon, has already said the aviation bill that includes the trucking language is “a non-starter") -- Washington, DC, USA - The WSJ, by ROBBIE WHELAN - Feb. 19, 2016

Labels: HOS debates, rules and regulations, trucking industry news USA

Feb 17, 2016

TRUCKERS' HOS * USA: Highway bill restart 'suspension' needs a redo

* DC - DOT, trucking groups look to close 'troubling' loophole in HOS created by FAST Act

-- Congress didn’t just roll back the restart provision of the hours of the service (HOS) rule; language in the recently passed highway bill could eliminate it altogether. But truckers are being urged to carry on business as usual until a resolution to the apparent new loophole in HOS can be worked out... Basically, because the Department of Transportation has interpreted that the restart clause in the FAST Act appropriation package “contains no language to direct our industry on a restart provision, then there is no restart provision to abide by,” according to an “urgent” notification emailed late Saturday by the Truckload Carriers Assn. to its members... At issue are the “bolt-on” provisions to the HOS restart (the two consecutive 1-5 am off-duty periods and the 168 hour restriction) added by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to the 2013 overhaul of HOS. ATA had lobbied successfully in the spring of 2014 that the “bolt-ons” actually had an adverse impact on safety and productivity by forcing trucks onto the road at peak morning traffic hours. The resulting suspension and rollback to the pre-2013 restart, included by Congress in the DOT’s 2015 budget, also called on FMCSA to produce a study comparing the effectiveness of the two systems... However, because the study had not been completed by the end of the fiscal year, Congress continued the suspension with language in the highway bill. But, by DOT’s interpretation of the recent legislation, if the study finds the 2013 changes do not meet the standards set by Congress, “the entire restart provision would have to be vacated,” according to the ATA summary...
Washington, DC, USA - Fleet Owner, by Kevin Jones - Feb 15, 2016

* DC - FAA bill with trucking hours and pay implications advances

-- A bill that would prevent states from requiring truckers and their employers to comply with state laws regulating hours of service, such as meal or rest break requirements, has been approved by the House’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill would also, if enacted, throw cold water on state-level initiated driver pay reform... The Aviation, Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization Act bill, which deals almost entirely with aviation policy and funding, cleared the T&I Committee by a narrow 32-26 margin, paving the way for the bill to be taken up by the full House...

The trucking-relevant clauses would:
(1) Block states from requiring drivers to take meal and rest breaks, if such a law is on the books at the state level,
(2) Exempt carriers from penalties for not requiring drivers to take state-law-required breaks and
(3) Allow carriers, as employers, to skirt any state laws requiring drivers be paid “separate or additional compensation” beyond mileage or other base pay...

Carriers would still be allowed to provide other compensation, such as detention time or other initiatives, but they wouldn’t be required to if state law dictated such measures...
Washington, DC, USA - Overdrive, by James Jaillet - February 12, 2016

Labels: HOS debates

Jul 11, 2015

DRIVER SHORTAGE * USA: "The feds plan to make it worse"

* Iowa - ACT's Vieth believes could make the driver shortage worse

-- ACT Research President Kenny Vieth discussed some proposals surrounding driver health and fitness that he believes could make the driver shortage worse. Requirement of a medical examiner’s certificate, drug and alcohol testing, and higher insurance premiums are a few... Veith further explained the impacts of the HOS 34-hour reset. Before a two-overnight reset, he said, traffic flows smoothly for carriers between 5 and 6 a.m., with a “modest” morning peak, and an afternoon peak from 3 to 5. Afterward, he explained, there is virtually no morning traffic between 5 and 6 a.m., with a sharp mid-morning peak, and then a significantly longer evening peak extending to 7 p.m. ...
Iowa City, IO, USA - Fleet Owner, by Cristina Commendatore - Jul 9, 2015

Labels: drivers shortage, HOS debates

Mar 15, 2015

HOURS OF RESTART * USA: Truckers study

* Virginia - The Virginia Tech T. I. continues to recruit truckers for 34-hour restart study

-- VTTI will track and compare truck driver fatigue and safety performance levels for drivers who operate under the suspended rule versus those who operate under the former rule, which is now in effect until at least Sept. 25... The Transport Institute is continuing to recruit truck drivers and carriers who are willing to participate in the study to determine the efficacy of the new 34-hour restart provision... VTTI is conducting the $4 million study under contract with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration... Congress mandated the field study when lawmakers suspended the 34-hour restart provision put in place July 1, 2013... That provision, which allowed use of the restart provision only once every 168 hours and required the restart to include two consecutive 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. time periods, was roundly criticized by the trucking industry, which after seeking relief from the FMCSA and not getting it, turned to Congress for help... The suspension was part of an omnibus funding bill passed late last year. The suspension is set to end Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year... The less restrictive rule, which allows unlimited use of the restart and doesn’t require the two overnight periods, was reinstituted when the suspension was passed...
(Photo: Drivers' fatigue) -- Blacksburg, VA, USA - The Trucker News Services - 12 March 2015

Labels: HOS debates, HOS regulations

Dec 15, 2014

TRUCKERS' HOURS of SERVICE * USA

* Virginia - Trillion dollar spending bill could affect truckers' resting time

Roanoke,VA,USA -WDBJ7 Anchor, by Nadia Singh -Dec 12, 2014: -- Congress is set to roll back safety rules aimed at ensuring that truck drivers get enough rest... It's part of a recently passed spending bill to keep the government running until next September, where non-budget items are often included as riders... The provision suspends the current rest regulations while a study is done on the number of trucks on the road... Under the change, truckers could work as many as 82 hours a week. But, both truckers and drivers are concerned about safety... The bill would keep the government operating until next September. It also allows truckers to work up to 82 hours a week; 12 more than the current 70 hour limit... Some truck drivers are concerned... This dispute pits the trucking industry against the Teamsters Union, which represents drivers, and safety groups... Both sides are generous contributors to federal lawmakers... Employees of trucking companies contributed over $7 million for the 2014 elections, while the Teamsters gave nearly $2 million in contributions...

* Virginia - Trucking thanks Congress for including common sense hours fix in omnibus

Arlington,VA,USA -PRNewswire-USNewswire -Dec. 13, 2014: -- Today, American Trucking Associations thanked Congress – particularly Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) – for the common sense fix to two unjustified provisions of the current hours-of-service restart rules in this year's omnibus spending bill... The Collins Amendment language, which was adopted by a strong bipartisan vote of the Senate Appropriations Committee, suspends the restriction on the use of the so-called 34-hour restart that requires drivers to take two consecutive periods of 1am to 5am off during the restart, thus pushing them into riskier daytime driving and then lifts the restriction on using the restart more than once every 168 hours, or one week...

Labels: HOS debates

Dec 12, 2014

TRUCKERS' HOURS OF SERVICE * USA

* DC - Spending bill includes trucker changes

Washington,DC,USA -The Hill, by Keith Laing -10 Dec 2014: -- A move to allow truck drivers to work more overnight shifts is currently included in the government funding bill that was released Monday evening by Congress, over the objection of safety groups who argued the changes would make roads less safe... The provision to ease federal trucker scheduling regulations designed to prevent driver fatigue was inserted into the $1.014 trillion “cromnibus” funding legislation that was unveiled this week to prevent a government shutdown by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) at the behest of trucking industry groups. .. Victims of accidents that have involved truck drivers said after the funding legislation was revealed that Collins was prioritizing trucking companies over the safety of other drivers on U.S. roads... Congress is expected to complete work this week on the government appropriations package, which includes a large number of policy riders in addition to the trucking changes, before they break for the holidays. Current funding expires on Dec. 11...

* DC - Trucking may face chaos, confusion in wake of restart suspension

Washington,DC,USA -The Trucker, by LYNDON FINNEY -10 Dec 2014: -- The trucking industry, while for the most part happy that Congress appears ready to suspend the current 34-hour restart provision, at the same time faces a period of probable chaos and confusion as the industry adapts to a rule that hasn’t been in effect for almost 18 months... If the 34-hour restart provision is suspended, how will the industry go about training truckers and inspectors who’ve never worked under the pre-July 1, 2013, rule?...

* Maryland - CVSA’s Keppler: Suspension of restart will lead to serious enforcement issues

Greenbelt,MD,USA -The Trucker, By LYNDON FINNEY -10 Dec 2014: -- There could easily be issues with data quality in addition to enforcement consistency and uniformity in the wake of Congress passing, and President Barack Obama signing, the appropriations bill that includes language to suspend the current 34-hour restart provision of the Hours of Service rule, says Stephen Keppler, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA)... Keppler says because states have different processes for incorporating federal rules into state rules, suspension of the 34-hour restart provision could result in non-uniform application of the rule from state to state... First and foremost, the public tends to forget that the state-employed commercial vehicle enforcement officers only enforce state law, not federal law, Keppler said...

Labels: HOS debates

Sep 25, 2014

HOS DEBATES * USA: Truckers' opinions ...

* Arkansas - ... mixed on ‘restart’ rule

Ozark,ARK,USA -Arkansas Times Record, by John Lovett -September 23, 2014: -- Varying opinions can be found at truck stops on a government regulation that aims to keep truckers from driving more than 70 hours a week... Truckers have had more than a year to adjust to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Hours of Service Rule, and while some drivers see it as a good rule that gives them more time to rest, others find it impractical in an industry that has a wide variety of types of carriers and methods... Daniel Nephew of Waterford, Mich., said the rules have made the roads more congested during the daytime, and made finding a parking space at a truck stop more difficult at night. In trucks without electronic recordkeeping, there is no sure way of proving adherence anyway, Nephew points out... Veteran driver of 28 years Wendell Ahrens who lives in Missouri and works out of North Carolina near Asheville. He stays out for 10-day stretches and said he’d rather have the old rules back with less regulation. “I may drive 11 hours in one day with ease, but if I have to stay in traffic a long time, I might just end up only driving five hours” ... Not every driver is upset with the new rules... Bruce Rogers, a solo long-haul carrier, said he favors the regulation. He owns and operates R-Way Express out of Spencer, Tenn. Rogers said he would like to expand his operation but can’t afford to hire a new drivers... Doug Clayton of Miller Transports in Pryor, Okla., said he doesn’t stay out for extensive long hauls often, but was in favor of the “restart” rules... Essentially, there seems to be no simple way to make a blanket rule for the 3.2 million truck drivers on American highways...

Labels: HOS debates

Aug 23, 2014

TRUCKERS STRIKES * USA: Port truck drivers draw a line in the sand

* California - It’s not fair for employers to pretend that their workers are independent contractors

(Photo by David McNew/Getty: Shipping container trucks sit in traffic at the seaport, in Long Beach, Calif)
Sacramento,CAL,USA - fairborndailyherald, by Richard Kirsch -August 21. 2014: ... According to a report from the National Employment Law Project, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, and the Change to Win Strategic Organizing Center: ... Imagine your boss suddenly told you that from now on you were going to be considered an independent contractor. You’d have to pay for your office space, supplies, and equipment. Your employer would deduct those expenses from your paycheck. And you’d have to pay all your payroll taxes, including your employer’s share. You’d also be responsible for doing whatever work your boss gave you, no matter how long it took, with no extra pay... That’s the situation most of the nation’s port truck drivers are in.... The companies that hire two-thirds of port drivers deduct the cost of buying and maintaining their trucks from their paychecks. The drivers have to pay for fuel and take care of all the payroll taxes. They get no benefits, no workers’ compensation coverage or unemployment insurance, and they earn much less money than their officially employed counterparts... Instead, the drivers get a fixed amount of money, no matter how long it takes to pick up goods at the port and deliver them to warehouse distribution centers. Even though the drivers are only allowed to work for one company, that one company illegally treats them as independent contractors instead of employees... In early July, 120 port drivers in Southern California went on a five-day strike... The strike, backed by the Teamsters union, is part of a new national effort to force employers to comply with the law. Drivers have filed more than 400 claims against companies under California’s wage and hour laws. The first 19 rulings resulted in an average award of $66,240, largely for wage and hour violations and illegal paycheck deductions for items like truck leases...

Labels: HOS debates, truckers complaints, truckers strike

Aug 20, 2014

HOS DEBATE * USA: ATRI's Research

* Virginia - Identifies flaws in 34-hour restart rule

Arlington,VA,USA -Fleet Equipment -(originally publiched) Jul 9, 2013: -- The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released findings of its assessment of the Regulatory Impact Analysis used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to justify changes to the Hours-of-Service 34-hour restart provision, which took effect July 1, 2013. ATRI’s analysis was based on industry survey data of over 2,000 commercial drivers and 500 motor carriers, as well as a detailed analysis of 1.4 million driver logbooks from more than 40,000 commercial drivers... The ATRI analysis quantifies that FMCSA’s purported industry benefit and actual costs resulting from the restart changes differ by more than $322 million. Identified were several flaws in the FMCSA Regulatory Impact Analysis, including the reliance on driver logs from carriers undergoing compliance reviews and safety audits, which ATRI says skewed the data toward drivers operating at the higher limits of available hours. In addition, ATRI pointed to the assignment of industry costs associated with the change to only 15% of the driving population, ignoring operational changes and associated costs, which are likely to be experienced by a much larger percentage of drivers... Analisys: Among the operational and economic impacts identified by ATRI are:
* More than 80 percent of motor carriers surveyed have experienced a productivity loss since the new rules went into effect, with nearly half stating that they require more drivers to haul the same amount of freight.
* Among commercial drivers surveyed by ATRI, 82.5 percent indicated that the new HOS rules have had a negative impact on their quality of life, with more than 66 percent indicating increased levels of fatigue.
* Commercial drivers are forced to drive in more congested time periods, although the FMCSA Regulatory Impact Analysis did not address increased safety risks with truck traffic diversion to peak hour traffic.
* The majority of drivers (67%) report decreases in pay since the rules took effect.
* The impacts on driver wages for all over-the-road drivers total $1.6 billion to $3.9 billion in annualized loss.

Labels: HOS debates, trucking industry news USA and CAN

Aug 6, 2014

HOS DEBATES * USA

* DC - Hours rule defense, trucking’s $7.5 billion safety investment highlight Senate truck safety hearing

Washington,DC,USA -CCJ, by James Jaillet -July 31, 2014: -- At a Senate hearing on truck safety Tuesday, regulators and trucking trade groups offered testimony to lawmakers in the Senate’s commerce committee about what could be done to improve truck safety in the U.S... Outgoing FMCSA Administrator, Anne Ferro, defended her agency’s 2013 hours-of-service rule, saying it reduces driver fatigue and prevents crashes. She also talked up CSA and the agency’s other regulatory initiatives.. . Trucking groups like ATA and OOIDA, however, took the agency to task, saying it should refocus some of its rulemakings to actions known to cause crashes...

Labels: HOS debates

Jul 2, 2014

HOS DISCUSSIONS * USA: Liability limits for trucks

* DC - Battle begins over higher liability limits for trucks

(AP Photo: Flames engulf a tractor-trailer and tour bus after they collided near Orland, Calif. on Apr. 10, 2014, killing 10)
Washington,DC,USA -Property Casualty 360, by ARTHUR D. POSTAL -June 26, 2014: -- A battle is shaping up over the efforts of the federal truck safety agency to raise the minimum financial responsibility requirements for motor carriers, something which has not been done since the 1980s... It comes as the trucking industry is also trying to stop implementation of rules effective July 1 that place a firmer limit on the number of hours drivers can be on duty. The America Truckers Association has filed suit to halt the changes, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has inserted a provision in a federal transportation appropriations bill that would delay the changes for at least one year... An industry executive with knowledge of the transportation industry recently spoke to PC360 about the impact the FMCSA proposal would have on motor carriers of passengers, which was also examined in the April report. Raising the minimum limits—currently $5 million for 16 or more passengers and $1.5 million for 15 or fewer passengers—would result in higher rates, but over time, perhaps three or four years as claims develop, he said...

Labels: HOS debates, HOS regulations

Jun 24, 2014

HOS RULES DEBATES * USA

* Pennsylvania - Trucking rules creating problems

Robeson Township,Berks County,PENN,USA -Reading Eagle, by Eric Arnold -June 22, 2014: -- I have spent 24 years in the trucking industry, 13 of which were spent with the federal Department of Transportation... The new hours of service rules, which the Collins amendment proposes to suspend, are not reducing crashes and very well may be causing more crashes... The Tracy Morgan accident was a tragedy, but it had nothing to do with the 70-hour rule. The truck driver was found by the National Transpiration Safety Board to be within his limit on hours. No evidence has been produced backing the claim he had not slept for 24 hours... You make it sound as if we truckers would kill your family to make an extra dollar. That is insulting and blatantly false. We care just as much about safety as the government does... Starting in 2009, truck-crash fatalities and injuries have risen every year. During the same time, the Department of Transportation has been the most aggressive, hyper-regulatory regime. With this level of overregulation, accidents should be plunging. They are not. They are going up... You argue it is because there are not enough rules. Hogwash. This blizzard of rules is having the opposite of its intended effect...

* How to make big trucks safer: Trucker safety has improved — and can get better

Chicago,ILL,USA -The Chicago Tribune -June 23, 2014: -- What does it sound like inside an 18-wheeler rolling down the highway? ... The truck's dashboard-mounted computer, warning in a robotic, female voice: "You have 9 hours and 22 minutes of remaining drive time" ... About 35 percent of interstate truckers use an electronic logging device that performs a critical task designed to make roads safer. This onboard computer, synched to the engine, keeps track of driving time to prevent truckers from staying on the highway too many hours and possibly falling asleep at the wheel. Plenty of drivers still fill out paper logs, which any trucker will tell you are easy to fudge. It's much harder to fool the computer: It knows exactly how much time is left on the clock before reaching the federally mandated 11-hour maximum daily driving time...
No rule-making will eliminate accidents. The Wal-Mart driver reportedly hadn't slept for more than 24 hours, but he apparently hadn't violated driving time rules. The National Transportation Safety Board reported Thursday that he had driven for 9 hours, 37 minutes that day, less than the 11 hours allowed by federal limits. He had been on duty for 13 hours and 32 minutes, just under the limit. Other drivers think he mismanaged his off time. That's always going to be a risk. You'd hope drivers have the sense to pull over before falling asleep, but, as trucking officials say, you can't measure fatigue with a blood test... So where does this leave us? The next big argument may be about driver pay. Long-distance truckers are compensated by the mile or delivery, so they aren't paid for the hours and hours they might spend waiting at loading docks. Some propose paying truckers for wait time, with the logic being that a higher-paid workforce would be more professional and safer... How to keep reducing the frequency of bad accidents? Getting onboard computers installed in all long-distance trucks as soon as possible seems the best answer from technology. Beyond that, the U.S. is likely to rely primarily on the responsibility of drivers and their employers — and their awareness that horrible crashes like the one on the New Jersey Turnpike have grave consequences...

Labels: HOS debates, HOS regulations, trucks safety

Jun 14, 2014

HOS DEBATES * USA

* New Jersey - Truckers push to roll back new rules on rest

(Photo from AP: The limousine bus carrying Tracy Morgan and six other people lies on it's side early Saturday morning June 7, 2014 on the New Jersey Turnpike)
Englewood Cliffs,NJ,USA -CNBC, by John W. Schoen -9 Jun 2014: -- The deadly New Jersey crash Saturday involving an allegedly sleep-deprived Wal-mart truck driver comes just days after the trucking industry won Senate support to roll back new rules designed to make sure truck drivers get enough rest... Kevin Roper, 35, had not slept for more than 24 hours before the accident, according to the complaint... The high-profile crash comes just days after a Senate panel approved a proposal to roll back new rules, first proposed in 2010, forcing truck drivers to pull over and log a minimum number of hours for rest... Since the new hours of service rules took effect last July, the industry has fought hard against the rest regulations... The new regulations require long-haul drivers to cut their maximum workweek to 70 hours from 82, and "restart" those 70 hours with a 34-hour break once a week. Drivers are also required to include at least two nighttime rest breaks from 1 to 5 a.m. during that 34-hour break... In January, a Washington State University study found that the new rules are more effective at combating driver fatigue. The researchers found that drivers who took two more overnight during their restart breaks "experienced fewer lapses of attention, reported less sleepiness while on duty, and maintained their lane position better than those with only one nighttime period in their restart" ... Because the new rules require all drivers to "restart" their week with rest periods that end at 5 a.m., they can no longer stagger the beginning of their new work day. That means they're required to start work just as the morning rush hour begins...

* DC - U.S. Senate votes to possibly suspend restart rule

Grain Valley,MO,USA -Today's Trucking -Jun 12, 2014: -- The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 21-9 in favor of suspending the current 34-hour restart provision of the hours of service (HOS) rule while the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) studies the rule’s impact... The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, a national organization that represents small-business truckers, thanked the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee for passing the amendment to suspend the new restart provisions in HOS regulations for one year... "Truckers have long pointed out the negative impacts of the 2013 changes on their ability to get rest, stay out of busy city traffic, spend time at home, and make a family-supporting income," said OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer... The amendment suspends the two-night rest requirement and the once-a-week limitation on the restart. The suspension starts after the bill is passed and FMCSA posts public notice, and last until September 30, 2015, or when FMCSA finishes the study... During that time, the old restart provision is in effect, which means drivers are not required to be off between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on two straight nights during their restart, and the restriction limiting use of the restart to once a week...

* New York - Why are some long-haul truckers so tired?

NY,USA -NBC News, by BILL BRIGGS -June 9th 2014: -- American motorists face a higher injury risk involving long-haul rigs because federal rules are compelling some commercial drivers to skip their rest stops, the leader of a truckers trade group asserted Monday... Federal regulations now limit commercial drivers to 14-hour workdays -– part of a series of moves meant to give truckers more down time and inject more safety into the nation’s highways... But the hourly ceiling removed the deadline flexibility that commercial drivers once had if they needed to wait out traffic jams and bad weather, forcing some to max out their 14-hour windows and hold the wheel when they’d prefer to pull off the road, trucker advocates argue... “If the regulations are so strict that a driver can’t stop and take a break or take a nap when they need to, then I don’t know how you can conclude anything other than the regulations have made highways less safe,” said Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). The trade group represents 150,000 members, spanning all states... The American Automobile Association cites statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that road fatalities involving large trucks increased by 4 percent between 2011 and 2012 — from 3,781 to 3,921. Of the big-rig-related deaths in 2012, 73 percent were occupants of other vehicles, 10 percent were non-occupants, and 18 percent were occupants of commercial trucks...

Labels: HOS debates

Jun 7, 2014

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA: HOS' debates

* DC - Cap on truckers’ 70-hour work week may be eased by Senate

Washington,DC,USA -Bloomberg News, by Jeff Plungis -Jun 5, 2014: -- The 70-hour cap on a U.S. trucker’s workweek has a chance of being eased by Congress, undoing the result of a 15-year effort to reduce highway fatalities caused by drowsy long-haul drivers... The main federal regulation requiring truckers to take an extended break after reaching weekly time limits would be suspended under an amendment passed today in the Senate Appropriations Committee. The regulation had taken effect in July 2013 and immediately drew criticism from the industry... The suspension, which would restore the industry’s 82-hour “workweek,” is intended to force the Transportation Department to address some of the regulation’s fallout, said Kevin Kelly, a spokesman for Senator Susan Collins, the Maine Republican sponsoring the amendment. The industry has said that the rule’s requirements for scheduling rest breaks at night forced more trucks onto the road during the daytime when traffic is most congested... The regulations took effect after more than 15 years of legal wrangling over sleep science, the role of fatigue in truck crashes, and how the costs of hiring more drivers to deliver freight would ripple through the economy... Truck crashes caused 3,912 fatalities in 2012, and the fatal-crash rate increased each year from 2009 through 2012, reversing a five-year trend. The hours-of-service regulation was expected to prevent 1,400 truck crashes a year, saving 19 lives and avoiding 560 injuries...

Labels: HOS debates, HOS regulations

May 29, 2014

HOS REGULATIONS * USA

* DC - ATA lobbies against HOS funding

Washington,DC,USA -Go By Truck News -May 26, 2014: -- In its attempt to beat back the restart provision in the hours of service rule, the American Trucking Associations is lobbying Congress to cut off funding for that part of the regulation. The association says the restart is an impediment to trucking companies and that it does not improve safety... ATA is not attacking the entire HOS rule. Its efforts are focused on the provision that requires drivers to take off two consecutive 1-5 a.m. periods and the provision that restricts the use of a restart to once per week. The Association is trying to get Senators and Representatives to write into an existing bill a new provision that would cut off funding for the enforcement of these two regulations... While the HOS restart has been a contentious effort since it was first implemented in 2013, not everyone supports ATA’s methods in Congress...

Labels: HOS debates

Sep 11, 2013

* USA - HOS: And ... if you´ve “sleep problems” ??

* Illinois - What if you can’t get a good night’s sleep?

Chicago,ILL,USA -Fleet Owner, by Sean Kilcarr -Sep. 9, 2013: -- One of the central points in the ongoing battle over hours of service (HOS) reform in the trucking industry is the issue of providing enough “off-duty” time so truck drivers can get sufficient restorative sleep... But what happens if you CAN’T get that restorative sleep? What if, with 10 or even 12 hours off per day, a driver finds himself (or herself) tossing and turning for hours, ending up fatigued and groggy at the start of their next shift? ... Such “sleep problems” are actually fairly widespread in the U.S., if a new study is to be believed, and certainly not just limited to big rig operators... In a survey of 1,001 adults aged 18 and older sponsored by sleep-aid maker MidNite, some 52% of respondents reported they suffered from a lack of sleep... Of those dealing with sleep issues, the survey found that problems falling asleep and staying asleep occur about equally; 70% and 67% respectively). However, waking in the night is the most common sleep problem for women 35 and over, while for men 35 and over the most common issue is falling asleep, according to MidNite’s poll... Just goes to show that while you can legislate “off-duty” time for rests and sleep, the human body may not cooperate with such rules. It’s just part on the ongoing struggle against fatigue for the motoring public as a whole, not just truckers...

Labels: HOS debates

Aug 10, 2012

HOS RULES * UK

* UK - Drivers must go to prison for breaking drivers' hours rules, warns RHA

London,EN,UK -Commercial Motor, by Hayley Pink -8 August 2012: -- The Road Haulage Association (RHA) is calling for tougher action to be taken against truck drivers who falsify their driving records... It urges the use of mandatory prison sentences to deter those who are tempted to cheat – backed by a strong commitment to detect and prosecute offenders through the courts... Dunning adds that the offence appears to be becoming more common, possibly due to increased economic pressures, but more likely because “ineffective enforcement” has increased the temptation to break the law... The RHA is now calling on the government to take the lead on the matter and ensure adequate direction and resourcing is given to Vosa, along with more support from the police and the Magistrates' Association...

Labels: HOS debates, rules and regulations

Jan 17, 2012

FINAL HOS RULE * USA

* DC - FMCSA delays proposed final rule for Hours-of-Service wich is not gaining traction with retailers

(Photo)

Washington,DC,USA -Logistics Management, by Jeff Berman -October 31, 2011: -- Late last week, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said that its new Hours-of-Service (HOS) rule that was scheduled to be rolled out on Friday, October 28 has been pushed back... The original deadline for the rule was July 26, FMCSA said it was adopting as final its interim final rule of Dec. 17, 2007. That allows drivers to drive 11 hours within a 15-hour work day with a 34-hour restart provision. Both provisions had been challenged in court by Public Citizen, Advocates for Highway Safety, unions and other groups on procedural grounds... If those proposals become law, many industry stakeholders contend that they collectively will reduce the amount of time carriers have to move freight and hinder available trucking capacity... But not all politicians are against the rules, though. In a letter to President Obama last week, some Senators wrote that they support the proposed HOS rules... “The National Transportation Safety Board has found that fatigue is the primary factor in 30 to 40 percent of large truck crashes,” the Senators wrote...

Labels: HOS debates, HOS rules

Mar 4, 2011

HOS DEBATES * USA - Researcher says FMCSA misrepresented findings

Washington,DC,USA -Truck News (Canada) -Mar 1, 2011: -- A leading researcher has accused the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of misrepresenting his work to support its case to revamp driver hours-of-service rules... Dr. Francesco Cappuccio, a professor and researcher at Warwick Medical School in the U.K., reviewed 16 published studies on the effect of sleep duration on mortality. He also co-authored a 2007 study that the FMCSA, according to the American Trucking Associations, "leaned on most heavily to support its proposal" to rewrite hours-of-service legislation. The agency used Cappuccio's study to conclude that short projected increases in sleep could generate roughly US$690 million in annual health benefits for drivers... Cappuccio, however, has said the FMCSA cannot use his findings to quantify benefits to justify its proposed regulatory changes... He also said there is "no evidence to prove, that without additional measures, a simple reduction in work hours will result in increased sleep time" ... The ATA said Cappuccio's comments are further evidence that the FMCSA's proposed hours-of-service changes are flawed...

Labels: HOS debates

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Mar 4, 2011

HOS DEBATES * USA - Researcher says FMCSA misrepresented findings