HOS News

after driving on elogs in a limited speed truck, one would need more hours just to make up for the lost revenue

work longer, harder for less money, i always say

 

New Hours-of-Service Safety Regulations to Reduce Truck Driver Fatigue Begin Today

July 1, 2013


July 1, 2013
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that new federal regulations designed to improve safety for the motoring public by reducing truck driver fatigue took full effect today, July 1, 2013.
"Safety is our highest priority," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "These rules make common sense, data-driven changes to reduce truck driver fatigue and improve safety for every traveler on our highways and roads."
Trucking companies were provided 18 months to adopt the new hours-of-service rules for truck drivers. First announced in December 2011 by FMCSA, the rules limit the average work week for truck drivers to 70 hours to ensure that all truck operators have adequate rest. Only the most extreme schedules will be impacted, and more than 85 percent of the truck driving workforce will see no changes.
Working long daily and weekly hours on a continuing basis is associated with chronic fatigue, a high risk of crashes, and a number of serious chronic health conditions in drivers. It is estimated that these new safety regulations will save 19 lives and prevent approximately 1,400 crashes and 560 injuries each year.
"These fatigue-fighting rules for truck drivers were carefully crafted based on years of scientific research and unprecedented stakeholder outreach," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "The result is a fair and balanced approach that will result in an estimated $280 million in savings from fewer large truck crashes and $470 million in savings from improved driver health. Most importantly, it will save lives."
FMCSA's new hours-of-service final rule:

• Limits the maximum average work week for truck drivers to 70 hours, a decrease from the current maximum of 82 hours;
• Allows truck drivers who reach the maximum 70 hours of driving within a week to resume if they rest for 34 consecutive hours, including at least two nights when their body clock demands sleep the most - from 1-5 a.m., and;
• Requires truck drivers to take a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of a shift.

The final rule retains the current 11-hour daily driving limit and 14-hour work day.
Companies and drivers that commit egregious violations of the rule could face the maximum penalties for each offense. Trucking companies and passenger carriers that allow drivers to exceed driving limits by more than three hours could be fined $11,000 per offense, and the drivers themselves could face civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense.
Further information, including "Hours-of-Service Logbook Examples," is available on FMCSA's web site at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/HOS.



Updated: Wednesday, April 9, 2014

 

Looks like it's being proposed as an add-on to an upcoming federal funding bill.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102237858#.

 

70 hrs to 82?......Not a chance
not with these clowns in power.
What you may have heard is that the FMCSA in their misguided ways have tried to brainwash us all into believing that drivers may/could work as much as 82 hrs a week in the old days where we could take the 34 hr reset as many times as we wanted.
And that's why they have brought in this rule of only utilizing the 34 hr reset once a week.
They have just twisted the numbers just to suit themselves and try to convince us of some pie in the sky theory about how many hours we do work.
It's a load of hogwash but should we be surprised about any Govt agency

 

It's time to claim the road and the industry into our hands not the power clowns.

 

Yes and the public actually believe this tripe.
Typical media misinformation. A ploy just to get viewer ratings up.

 

Leaders of the nation's public health and safety, labor, environment and consumer groups together with victims and survivors of truck crashes urged Congressional leaders involved in the negotiations of the funding bill to reject non-related, anti-safety provisions from being included. Crash victims and organizations also pressed the Obama Administration to veto any spending bill that will result in more highway deaths and injuries.

Corporate trucking and shipping interests are pushing a long and deadly "wish list" including allowing significant truck weight increases for several states; forcing 39 states to allow longer trailer lengths of 33 feet on streets and highways to benefit FedEx and other trucking companies; and, rolling back the current hours of service limits for truck drivers by eliminating the two-day weekend off-duty for truck drivers to rest. The industry-backed proposal will increase the current working and driving hours of truck drivers from 70 to 82 hours a week and greatly contribute to fatigued truck drivers.

 

Good grief, what a bunch of bull! Weekends off, ROFLMAO!

 

I just read that CNBC article. It is so full of missing info, misinformation, lies, and deljberately misleading statements as to be totally worthless. But, we all know how the media distorts everything.