The government turned to hard-working truck drivers to keep the supply chains open during the height of the pandemic by creating an hours-of-service exemption. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has repeatedly extended the measure that allows truckers to maximize delivery times and buoy product and material inventories across the nation. Although the economy appears to be on the mend and Covid restrictions have largely been lifted, does it make sense to leave the hours-of-service expansion in place?
The conventional wisdom behind extending on-duty hours stemmed from a fragmented economy and shortages of products and materials. As the country emerges from the pandemic, an increased need for CDL professionals appears to be causing supply chain hiccups and inflation. These and other issues prove problematic even though the truckers handling the following types of loads enjoy longer on-duty hours.
- Livestock and Feed
- Vaccines and Medical Supplies
- Covid Testing, Diagnosis and Treatment Equipment
- Products Used for Community Safety such Hand Sanitizer, Masks, Soap, and PPE.
- Food and Groceries needed for Restocking Purposes
The FMCSA does not currently provide truckers hauling a wide range of other products with exemption status. To some degree, that limitation bleeds into delays for essential products, equipment, and materials because many OTR and regional drivers transport different loads at times. The federal regulatory outfit appears to further hamstring the free flow of goods and materials in the following way.
“Direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration,” the FMCSA reportedly stated.
The initial order was issued in March 2020 and maintains a keen eye on highway safety. Professional drivers cannot be compelled to complete routes when feeling the impacts of road fatigue or illness. Freight carriers must adhere to the policy of giving drivers 10 hours of off-duty time to regroup. The point is this and other common-sense measures remain in place to minimize the risk of accidents and injuries.
A May 27, 2021, update by the FMCSA extended the exemption through Aug. 31, and the agency indicated the future of the order was to be determined. The exemption could time out, be modified, or be extended again. But regardless of what the federal government and states decide, the hours-of-service expansion supports a more effective supply chain.
Congress appears poised to start integrating adults between 18 and 21 into OTR careers with the DRIVE Safe Act that may be signed into law by year’s end. And other exemptions have been carved out to fast-track qualified CDL-holders to get behind the wheel and start delivering loads. All these and other policy initiatives point to a national reality that America needs truck drivers transporting 70 percent of all products and materials for the maximum hours they can safely negotiate.
Source: omnitracs.com
Well when we quit bowing down to the leftist liberals who think they need to control society and everyone in it and just STOP a minute and think? We give them power to control this industry with Ridiculous rule making and let them stand in there own crap for a while and not give in to there relaxing the rules to suit there needs . John Q. Public will wise up and quit putting these morons in office. By God they couldn’t get Americans Home and had eight months to get it done. AND NOW WHAT? They aren’t going to comment on it!! Wake Up Americans!!
If the ignorant FMCSA paper pushers put in realistic hos they wouldn’t need emergency exemptions but their way to ignorant to do anything that makes sense
But, *they’re* way *too*.
I believe I like their hos, better than anything, you can come up with.
It won’t matter, stoopid drivers already have 70 hours to work with and they’re begging to be allowed to work longer. They’re slaves and don’t even know it.
Have you ever thought??? Some of us really love being a truck driver and would do it for free in a perfect (Star Trek) world as opposed to slave thinking. However, this is the real world of course, so us stoopid drivers-as you stated- would like to have our freedom back within those HOS. I don’t know how long you have been driving, but I’ve been in for about 25 years and remember having the freedom to drive as I saw fit to in a safe manner. Now, it’s a “job” and we have to perform in a certain amount of time regardless of time, road issues, or just life period.
They need to add the transportation of sex toys, pornography and narcotics to the list.
I say screw there hos y’all set the hours so live with it. All or nothing. I know me and many of my friends have either quit trucking or are real close to quiting and working other jobs. Same or better money with more time at home and none of the bs rules and regulations. Left lane no trucks what a load of crap. I tell everyone to stay away from trucking.
What’s funny is that the DOT can work double shifts and the cops. But truckers can’t. They carry a gun and have to make life altering decisions. Don’t they have fatigue. How come they don’t have hos. How come loading and delivery places don’t. We are getting screwed. Not me anymore.
My comment is, Why drivers are not allowed too travel in the 3rd lane in the state of Ga?? You have all these vehicles on the road and there are more coming. You have people that get in the 1st and 2nd lane, including truck drivers, with trucks that only runs 60-65 miles per hour and hold up traffic, knowing that the drivers on E-Log only have 11 hours in a day too get from point A too Point B. This statement also has a lot too do with the HOS the drivers have. Also, why not make the middle lane a passing lane only?
And of course anything that Amazon sells
The zombies need their stuff , helps them relax