A group of over 100 trucking industry organizations have written a letter to congress in which they express their concern that the FMCSA may be manipulating the restart study in order to create the results they’re looking for.
The restart study is the result of a demand from Congress that the FMCSA perform and analyze a study that would conclusively show that the changes they made to the restart provisions in July 2013 would have a positive effect on the safety of our nation’s roadways. The study is now under way, but has been run less than perfectly from the get-go.
Spearheaded by the ATA, the group points to multiple issues with the way the study is being conducted. In the letter from the group to Congress, the group voiced concern that the FMCSA is “being deliberately selective in choosing which qualified drivers participate in the study, potentially skewing the study’s results.”
According to information published by the institute conducting the study, target participants should drive more than 60 hours a week , but according to the FMCSA’s own data, the average driver only works 52 hours. The industry group claims that this is one example of how the FMCSA is cherry-picking participants that will give it the data it is looking for.
The letter also called attention to an ATRI study which showed that instead of making roads safer, accidents actually increased while the 2013 restart rules were in effect.
“We have said since day one that FMCSA failed to do even the most cursory investigation of what these restrictions would mean for highway safety in the real world,” cautioned ATA President Bill Graves. “The American public deserves to have these rules, which studies have shown raise crash risk on our highways, thoroughly and fairly examined. We urge the House Appropriations Committee to hold FMCSA’s feet to the fire until we get a full and fair analysis of the impacts of these restrictions.”
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Source: ttnews, gobytrucknews, thetruckersreport, thetruckersreport, thetruckersreport
The ATA does not represent *you* (the driver) it is the lobbying arm of the major fleets. If you see “ATA” anywhere in these articles, read between the lines: lower wages, longer hours and unsafe fleets. Safe, rested drivers cost them money!
Not entirely true well the ladt oart anyway .. the rule only helps thise who are home every weekend and yes I am a driver.
Right ATA what joke.. They only represent Swift England Hunt owners. Not drivers or owner ops.. Just another bought out lobby group..
Ooida seems to be following suit as well.. No real group that represents drivers and drivers rights
. HA HA DID I SAY DRIVERS HAVE RIGHTS?