Earlier today, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to make changes to the federal hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. These include granting additional flexibility for drivers utilizing a truck’s sleeper berth, standardizing the 14-hour driving window for short-haul drivers, alterations to the 30-minute rest break requirements and updates to the definition and use of the adverse driving conditions exemption.
We are grateful to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, FMCSA Administrator Raymond Martinez, and the entire FMCSA staff for their efforts to understand the legitimate concerns of the industry and work with all stakeholders to enact policy reflecting the true conditions on our nation’s highways.
“We applaud the Agency’s efforts to create safety-first, data-driven regulations,” said Truckload Carriers Association President John Lyboldt. “The initiative to reduce roadway fatalities represents an industry lift for which TCA is committed to uniting with our federal agency partners.”
TCA is pleased to see that FMCSA will be soliciting input from the public, and we look forward to submitting our comments on this NPRM. We also encourage all TCA members and the wider trucking industry to provide input to FMCSA, particularly using data from electronic logging devices. Commenters should utilize their data to prove the need for regulatory changes to grant full sleeper-berth flexibility to improve the driver’s workday, improve safety, and remove unnecessary burdens hindering the free flow of commerce in this country. TCA will provide more information to members on how to submit your comments in the coming days.
