DOT issues interim rule on truckers hours of service
By Dave Hannon -- Purchasing, 12/12/2007 1:07:00 PM
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Safety Administration has issued an interim final rule on trucking hours of service rules effective Dec. 27, which upholds existing limits on drivers' hours, rather than reducing the number of hours a driver can spend behind the wheel.
According to a statement from the FMCSA, truck drivers will continue to be limited to driving only 11 hours within a 14-hour duty period, after which they must go off duty for at least 10 hours. In July, U.S. Court of Appeals of the D.C. Circuit overturned two of the provisions in the rules.
"This proposal keeps in place hours-of-service limits that improve highway safety by ensuring that drivers are rested and ready to work," FMCSA Administrator John Hill said. "The data makes clear that these rules continue to protect drivers, make our roads safer and keep our economy moving."
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in September delayed until Dec. 27 a requirement that would reduce the continuous driving limit to 10 hours with eight hours of rest. FMCSA Administrator John Hill said the agency's data show that the number of crashes involving fatigued drivers has remained constant in recent years, and that crashes in the 11th hour of driving have been negligible.
“In order to ensure no gap in coverage of these important safety rules, the FMCSA interim final rule temporarily reinstates those two provisions while the agency gathers public comment on its actions and the underlying safety analysis before issuing a final rule,” the FMCSA’s statement says.
FMCSA’s interim rule said the agency “is fully committed to issuing a final rule in 2008.” Read the interim final rule here at the FMCSA web site.
The move was applauded by the American Trucking Associations and criticized by consumer rights groups and the Teamsters Union. In a statement, the ATA president Bill Graves said, “FMCSA has made an important contribution to highway safety by keeping in force Hours of Service rules that have led to a reduction in deaths and injuries over the last several years.”
"FMCSA is continuing the sweatshop conditions for truck drivers rolling down our highways, which endangers Americans all over the country," Joan Claybrook, president of Washington-based consumer watchdog Public Citizen, said.
What do you think? Use the COMMENTS button to express your opinion on this issue.
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I HAVE TO SAY I TEND TO AGREE TO ONE STATEMENT MS CLAYBROOK STATED THAT "THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY IS A SWEAT SHOP INDUSTRY" THANKS TO THE GOVENMENT,CORPEORT BIG SHOTS, OIL INDUSTRY AN LAST BUT NOT LEAST,THE BROKERS THAT WE CONTRACT THE FRIEGHT FROM. GROUPS LIKE HERS IS TOTALTLY UNINFORMED WHAT THE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES ARE IN THIS INDUSTRY! DO THESE SO CALLED EDUCATED PEOPLE REALLY THINK TRUCKERS WHAT TO WORK 14 HOURS A DAY, SLEEP 10 HRS, 7O HRS A WEEK, 34 HRS OFF AND GO AGAIN! I DON''T! THE REALTY IS MOST OF US HAVE TO RUN ABOVE AND BEYOND THIS LAW JUST TO BARELY MAKE ENDS MEET. A REGULAR DAY FOR A TRUCK DRIVER IS..UP AT DAWN, BEAT THE TRAFFIC,GET TO THE BUISNESS TO DELEVIER THE PRODUCT, WAIT HOURS ON END TO UNLOAD BE TREATED LIKE A LOWER LIKE FORM BY THE SHIPPER BECAUSE HE HAS TO GET GOING TO THE NEXT STOP. THE DAY HAS ONLY STARTED! NEXT THE DRIVER MIGHT HAVE TO DRIVE HOURS EMPTY TO THE NEXT STOP, WAITING AGIAN! (REMEMBER THE CLOCKS RUNNING) MOST SHIPPERS REQUIRE 2 HRS FREE BEFORE THEY PAY DETENSION,MOST DONT! "IF YOU DONT LIKE IT DONT COME BACK" THE TRUCKS LOADED ITS ABOUT NOON, LETS SEE UP AT 5AM GOT A GOOD START ON THE DAY BUT,WHAT HAVE I GOT DONE. WE''RE PAYED BY THE MILE YOU KNOW! I.VE BEEN AT WORK 7HRS I HAVE''NT MADE ADIME! I''VE SPENT MONEY ON FUEL TO GET TO MY NEXT LOAD,DO YOU KNOW FUEL AV. ACROSS OUR GREAT NATION IS $3.40 A GAL. YOU CRY TO FILL UP YOUR SUV! TRY A FILLUP ON THIS BEAST 300 GAL. @ $3.40 =$1020.OO @ 5MPG THAT TAKES ME AROUND 1500 MILES DEPENDING HOW LONG AT THE SHIPPER,TRAFFIC JAMS, DO I NEED HEAT WHEN ITS COLD,
COOL WHEN ITS HOT @ 1GHR THATS 10HRS AT IDLE 10GAL @ $3.40= $34.00 JUST TO GET AGOOD NIGHTS OR DAY SLEEP!! LETS SEE NOW IVE SPENT 7 OF MY 14HRS 7 TO GO!
I DON''T THINK SO !!! I DRIVE 60 MPH (BECAUSE I CAN''T AFFORD TO DRIVE FASTER) AND BELIVEVE IT OR NOT MOST DRIVERS ARE LOCKED INTO A SAFTEY MODE AT ALL TIMES.WE DON''T CLIMB INTO THESE THINGS AN SAY I WONDER WHAT KIND OF HAVEC I CAN REAP TODAY!! WITH DEALING WITH HIGHER AN HIGHER TRAFFIC VOLUME, HELLBENT CAR DRIVERS ON SUICIED MISSIONS, AND A FAILING HIGHWAY SYSTEM WE HAVE OUR HANDS FULL. SO AS THE TRIP GOES, I DRIVE 5.50HRS TIME FOR ABREAK AT LEAST .3O BY LAW. INOUT AT THE TRUCKSTOP NOPE TRAFFIC JAM! INOUT ABOUT A HR OR SO. OFF AGAIN 5.50 MORE THAT TAKES ME TO ABOUT A 19 HR DAY. I ALWAYS TRY TO GET MY 10 HRS IN BETWEEN MY OFF AND ON DAY BUT,THAT DOSENT ALWAYS
HAPPEN...SORRY, I''M TRYING TO MAKE ALIVIN!! FIGURE THIS, MY TRUCK COST 38,000 @1132.00, TRAILER 10,000 @555.00, INSURANCE @811.00 THATS 2498.00 A MONTH JUST TO MOVE AMERICA. + 1600-1900 AYR FOR PLATES,550.00 FEDERAL HYW USE TX, IFTA (MORE TAXES FOR THE FUEL I USE AND THE STATES I RUN) NUMEROUS OTHER COSTS THAT JUST GET ADDED YEAR ATER YEAR BY THE GOVERNMENT AND OTHERS. MY HEAD HURTS!! ARE YOU GETTING MY POINT, OR AM I RAMBLING? BACK TO THE TRIP..ANOTHER DAY, MAYBE AGOOD NITES SLEEP,MAYBE NOT. A GOOD BREAKFAST MAYBE, IVE GOT 19 HRS ON DUTY, 11HRS DRIVING, 600 MILES DOWN THE ROAD 900 HUNDERD TO GO. NOTHING TO DO BUT DRIVE! YOU THINK? HOW BOUT THAT CONSTRUCTION, THAT ACCIDENT THAT CLOSES DOWN THE ITERSTATE, OFF WE GO ON AN ADVENTURE WITH WITH 500 TRUCKS AND CARS, AN NOBODY KNOWS WHERE WE''RE AT OR WHERE THIER GOING!! ALL IN A DAYS WORK!! NO TIME FOR LUNCH GOT TO MAKE UP TIME, AGAIN!! JUST WHEN YOU GET SETTLED IN, DOT SCALEHOUSE AHEAD, NO WORRYS I SPENT $8.50 TO WEIGH MY RIG JUST TO BE SURE I''M LEGAL, AND I HAVE PRE-PASS ($19.00 A MONTH) NO WORRYS, WHATS THIS A RED LIGHT NOOOOO!!!!!! LOOK AT THAT LINE! THE MAN CHECKING LOG BOOKS, BETTER GET MINE UP TO DATE,OR I''LL BE PAYING WHAT LITTLE I''M MAKING ON THIS LOAD AND THEN SOME. NO HASSLES WITH HIM, CAN''T SAY ABOUT THE GUY IN FRONT OF ME, HIS RIDE IS LOOKING KIND OF ROUGH! I SAY ALITTLE PRAYER, AND HOPE THATS NOT ME SOMEDAY! MORE TIME TO MAKE UP GOTA BE AT THE SHIPPER @5AM NO SLEEP TONIGHT, OH WELL NICE NIGHT, NO SNOW, NO RAIN ,FEW CARS JUST US TRUCKERS TRYING TO MOVE AMERICA''S ECONOMY. WELL I MAKE IT WITH NO TIME TO SPARE, BLEW A TRAILER TIRE, HAD TO STOP GET THAT CHANGED, I CARRY A SPARE ITS OLD LIKE THE OTHERS,COST $30.00 TO HAVE CHANGED AT THE TS. COULD OF BEEN WORSE, $300.00-400.00 + THE 30.00. I WONDER HOW THAT GUY IS DOING I BOUGHT MY SPARE FROM FOR $100.00? HE WAS DOWN ON HIS LUCK TOO. HOPE THATS NOT ME SOMEDAY! WELL LETS SEE 1500 MI TRIP, AN HERE''S THE GOOD PART FOR YOUR READERS. THE AVERAGE FOR FRIEGHT PER MILE IS ABOUT $1.20 X 1500 MI.=$1800.00-FUEL $1020=$780.00!!!! DO I NEED TO SAY MORE? TO MS. CLAYBROOK AN OTHER SPIECAL INTERTEST GROUPS, I SAY GET A LIFE!!! I''VE GOT ONE, AND I''M TRYING TO HOLD ON TO IT!! I INVITE YOU TO COME ALONG WITH ME FOR AWEEK OF ADVENTURE! IF YOU REALLY WANT A CAUSE TO STAND FOR I''LL SHOW YOU MANY!!!!! HURRY THOUGTH I DON''T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I BE HERE!!!
CHARLES MILLER - 12/13/2007 9:55:00 PM EST -
Joan Claybrook is the woman who murdered women and children in the name of highway safety with the original airbag rules. They required them to protect an unseatbelted male even though she knew that in order to do that they would have to be powerful enough to kill women and children in the process. She is also in the pocket of the railroad industry and doing everything she can to undermine trucking's competitiveness.
Mike Doettl - 12/13/2007 6:57:00 AM EST
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