Two recent reports have given new evidence that the July 1st Hours Of Service (HOS) changes have had a largely negative impact on the trucking industry. The first, released by OOIDA, claims that the HOS changes have decreased driver pay and negatively impacted driver fatigue. The second report, conducted by the ATRI, claims that more than half of all truck drivers on the road have seen a pay cut as a result of the rule changes.
The OOIDA survey was conducted by sending out an email to its members containing a brief note and a survey that asked questions regarding the HOS changes. They received over 4,000 completed surveys, the majority of which showed that the changes were negatively impacting drivers. Of those surveyed, 65% claimed that they had lost income, and 46% stated that they actually felt more fatigued as a result of the changes – the opposite of the result that the FMCSA has been aiming for.
The report published by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) on November 18th showed results similar to those found in the OOIDA survey. According to the ATRI, the report was based on “survey data of over 2,300 commercial drivers and 400 motor carriers as well as a detailed analysis of logbook data representing 40,000 [plus] commercial drivers.” Of the 2,370 drivers that took part in the study, 67.4% claimed that they had lost income as a result of the HOS changes. Out of the all those surveyed, 15.7% said that they had lost between 1-5% of their income, 19.4% said they had lost between 5-10% of their income, and 16.5% said they had lost 15% or more of their income as a direct result of the HOS changes.
Drivers claimed that their losses are due to many different factors brought on by the changes. The most common reasons for income loss are changes to drivers’ schedules, longer restart times, using a rollback schedule, losing loads due to lack of flexibility, and losing productivity due to the mandatory 30-minute breaks.
In addition to the loss of driver wages, 82% of drivers surveyed have said that the rule changes have had a “negative impact on their quality of life.”
The ATRI report also states that half of the carriers surveyed have had to hire more drivers to haul the same amount of freight. The report estimates that the HOS changes will cost a total of $1.6 billion to $3.9 billion in lost driver wages.
Despite these results being echoed in study after study, FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro has stated that the HOS changes will “absolutely not” be repealed.
Next Story: Congressional Subcommittee Hearing Tears Apart HOS Rules
Source: overdrive, overdrive, fleetowner, overdrive, ttnews
I don’t know why the hell they had to mess with it to begin with. Drive 10 and take 8 off, it was pretty easy to keep up with. About the only thing I liked about the last rule change was the 34 hr. restart.
No. 8 hours my ass. When could you shower or crap or eat? No! 10 hours was good. 11 hours driving was good. Messing up the 5 and 5 thing for teams… BAD.
wWhy you ask Patrick because they can.They’ll do anything to mess with the drivers.They don’t belive in negociating.Its their way and that is that.No common since in their reasoning.They have no clue about us but sure are quick to run our lives.Wonder if they’re any relation to Obama.
But don’t you know? Anne Ferro has her sites set on bigger things! Just look at what she is doing for the trucking industry!!!
Yeah right, Anne. Look at what you are doing TO the trucking industry.
All things that make sense forbids, you will one day gain a higher office and get more responsibility. Our country is messed up enough as it is. The last thing it needs is someone like YOU with any more power.
Somebody, PLEASE, get this raving lunatic out of her post!
Typical bureaucrat… “Despite these results being echoed in study after study, FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro has stated that the HOS changes will “absolutely not” be repealed.”
Don’t confuse me with facts.
What is truely behind the impetus that is driving this change?
Unions? Now companies are required to hire more people to do the same amount of work.
Government Extortion? Pay to these causes or candidates or we’ll make even MORE draconian rules?
Or maybe just unbridled politcal ambition…justify your job and position by showing change and interferance. The general public won’t know whose responsible!
I am glad my driving days are over. I don’t think I could make it in this environment any longer. 40 plus years and these last 5 have been the worst.
Well said!
Naturally OIDA was powerless to do anything about it. How many new houses and vehicles have top dogs at OIDA bought off the hard working trucker’s dime???? Truckers need to stop giving this fraud of an organization money. Let’s see, their powerless in stopping Mexico trucks being able to cross the border, powerless to help the truckers with the new HOS, which is losing them money and are driving more fatigued. When does it end?????
We are due for an industry-wide strike/shutdown. Its time to show them, not just tell them, how unhappy we are with the way things have gone south for us. The big strikes in the 70’s showed how much power truck drivers really have over these oppressors but it seems we have all forgotten about how to stop the injustices being handed to us by people wholly unaffected by them. Lets show these beaurocrats who the bosses are by sitting until they fix this broken machine and put us all back into a position where we can comfortably do our job with the dignity and the quality of life we deserve to have for what we are sacrificing. My paycheck and my hometime have both been negatively affected by these ridiculous changes. Its highly frustrating to be away from home and not making nearly the money I was making before them and still be away from home but now barely making ends meet and seeing my family less than ever. I like driving but this assinine beaurocracy is making it impossible for me to enjoy my job or have any quality of life. Maybe that’s what they are going for. Either way we need to stand as a unit and put an end to this mess!
Problem with this is, there are too many big companies now compared to then, and a good chunk of these drivers for these big companies are brainwashed and let the company control them. I just so happen to work for one, and that’s one thing I’ve learned, don’t let them or anyone control you.
Sadly, in the case of causing a strike, only the small companies and owner operators, and a handful of big company drivers would participate, and all they’d do is just double the big company recruitment rate to pick up the lost loads, thus effectively ending many good jobs and shortening the careers of some of the best drivers I’ve ever grown to know.
Andrew H., what company do you work for?
I,m ready for a truckers shut down. Lets show these truck companies,brokers and goverment we can unite and organize. We can fix this drivers!!
Steve Bell, I agree that if drivers did the math on how many hours they “actually work” and what they get paid, it is much less than minimum wage. I once was a truck driver and found a job that paid just the same as driving, but less headaches and less hours worked. I drove for a company that had electronic logs and they did have their downfalls. With that said, I did make a good living driving a truck. But, as I stated before, I have a job now that pays the same and not anymore 16hr days. If you worked 14hrs per day at 7.25, that is over $600, heck you could do that setting at the house. Like a friend of mine, who still drives, said, “unless truckers all get together whether company driver or O/O and shut this country down, nothing is EVER going to change.”
AMEN! Too many still will bash other drivers just to make themselves feel better about how miserable they really are! If I were to be paid what I actually work for they wouldn’t hire me! It’s a sad world we live in, but even sadder is the fact that so many would rather sit back and ride on the coat tails of someone else’s good works! We cannot stand and band together when we have no good leadership to represent us..I am a human being not a robot, I care about my rights and my freedom, that was bought at the cost of spilled blood! I understand that wisdom and knowledge leads to success..As we are all facing such insane rules and regs, we need to stand strong or we will be beaten down and hope and morale is lost!
As far a I am concerned this Anne Ferro should be kicked out along with everyone else in Washington and reset this country back to about 1945. They have continued to take away our rights and we let it keep happening. I am retired and don’t drive commercial any more but still drive during the fire season for the BLM.
I quit driving and sold my truck after 2 or 3 years under the new HOS in 2006 and now it is much worse with the recent changes.
I agree with all of you, it blows my mind how someone like Anne ferro can just ignore the FACTS and continue with this bullshit of the rules and regulations! I too have notice decrease I’m pay as well home time due to this insanely stupid hours of service rules! I honestly think we (ALL TUCKERS) should act like one! We need to take our jobs back, we need to unite under one cause and one mission, we need to turn off our trucks for a week and demand back what’s taken from us! We need to do what was done in 70’s maybe then, just maybe they will listen! God bless you all
Anne Ferro needs to spend sometime out in the real trucking world instead of sitting on her A__ reading reports by the other non-experienced people sending them to her, then making policies on those same reports. In 1979 the governor of Oregon met with owner operators to discuss what his administration could do to make Oregon’s hiways safer. So get real Anne Ferro talk to us that live the life then maybe you can make decisions we can all work with.
There was nothing wrong with driving 11 hours and resting for 10 hours. These new rules was design to creat more reason to fine truckers and bleed more $$$ out of the trucking industry. Productivity is down and moral is down. Years ago it wasn’t bad being a truck driver, now when a young person get to understand how stressful trucking has become they lost interest and move on to another industry. The government is to blamed for wrecking the trucking industry.
Find another monkey who’ll drive under these bureaucratic rules.
I’m done.
FU.
This is a possible option; ** To 1yr plus experienced drivers; Leave the HOS hours as they are right Now, establish a $20.00 x hour rate, 8 Major holidays Paid (worked or not), two weeks paid vacation every 12 months. *One dollar an hour raise every year. *Medical/Dental; (that’s just for starters).
hate to tell ya Its the new generation moving in and if the government doesn’t start f.ing them now the cant or wont be able to later. It is a shame cause im part of the new generation
Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Anne Ferro has got to go!!! 🙂
Seriously, as truckers and citizens we do have a small amount of control over these kinds of rules. Anne Ferro was appointed to her position by the President of the U.S. and presidential appointees generally reflect the political and ideological leanings of their boss, the President. Remember that when you cast your vote in the next presidential election.
I turned my truck in. Mainly.over a 3 yr fight with a large corporation over a work related injury and the negative impact lack of medical treatment and the effects of overcompensation. May be forced on disability after 15yrs driving. That said its bittersweet because i wont miss the ever changing rules and the $30K my annual has gone down over the years.
I don’t really see what the big deal is.. I run my 70hrs out and then just go off of hours gained until I want to take a 34 and average about 615 to 650 miles a day and 2500 to 3200 a week even off of hours gained. The 30 minute break thing isn’t bad either,after 8 solid hours of driving i usually could use a break.