Background: Why Flexibility Matters
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is launching two new pilot programs designed to give truck drivers greater control over their schedules. The initiative, part of the agency’s “Pro-Trucker Package,” seeks to evaluate whether allowing flexibility in hours of service (HOS) rules can reduce fatigue and enhance road safety.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the importance of the move, noting that truckers are “the backbone of our economy” and deserve policies that make their jobs safer and more manageable.
Pilot Program #1: Split Duty Period
The first program, the Split Duty Period Pilot Program, would allow drivers to pause their 14-hour driving window for a break lasting between 30 minutes and three hours.
- Goal: Help drivers avoid fatigue, traffic congestion, and excessive detention times.
- Participation: Approximately 256 CDL holders will take part.
- Data Collection: FMCSA will track duty status, roadside inspections, crash records, and fatigue levels.
This provision was considered in 2019 but excluded from the final 2020 rule. Critics then argued carriers might pressure drivers to use the pause for non-rest purposes. FMCSA now intends to carefully monitor how this flexibility is used to avoid misuse.
Pilot Program #2: Flexible Sleeper Berth
The second program, the Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program, will test additional rest split options beyond the current 8/2 and 7/3 configurations.
- Proposed Splits: 6/4 and 5/5 divisions of the required 10-hour rest period.
- Rationale: Many drivers struggle to sleep in long blocks; shorter splits could allow rest when tired and driving when alert.
- Research Plan: The program will track fatigue using tools such as wrist actigraphy devices, psychomotor vigilance tests (PVTs), and driver surveys.
This builds on previous industry requests and is partly based on a 2013 proposal from the American Trucking Associations and the Minnesota Trucking Association.
What Drivers Have Been Asking For
Industry advocates, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), have long pushed for more flexibility. OOIDA’s Lewie Pugh told Congress earlier this year that a split-duty pause and alternative sleeper berth splits would allow drivers to “rest when they’re tired and avoid unsafe driving conditions.”
Drivers argue that rigid rules can sometimes force them to drive while fatigued or rest when they’re fully alert—exactly the problem FMCSA hopes these pilots will address.
Timeline and Next Steps
- Public Comment Deadline: November 17, 2025.
- Start of Protocol Development: Early 2026.
- Duration: Each participant will spend one month under current rules and three months under new conditions. Overall, FMCSA expects the pilots to take about three years.
Both programs are designed to test whether flexibility can achieve equal or greater safety compared to existing HOS rules. The outcome could reshape how fleets and drivers manage work-rest cycles for years to come.
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