Truck Drivers Hours of Service Regulations to Be Reviewed by the FMCSA
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) has agreed to rewrite hours of service regulations for truck drivers, bowing to pressure from safety groups and labor unions who insisted that the current rule increased the risk of accidents.
The current rule allows long haul truckers to drive for 11 consecutive hours at a stretch, extended from the previous ten. That move had been opposed by victims’ families, truck safety groups and the Teamsters union, who challenged the rule, claiming that these extended hours increased the risk of accidents. The FMCSA has now agreed to rewrite the rules. The agency has assured these groups that it will come up with new rules governing hours of service within the next 9 months.
The move to rewrite the rules comes even as a new chief takes office at the FMCSA. Anne Ferro, a former Maryland trucking industry lobbyist has been confirmed as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Ferro’s nomination for the post of FMCSA chief had not been without controversy, mostly because of her past as a lobbyist for the trucking industry. For 6 years, Ferro served as president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association, a fact that aggravated her opponents, even though her lobbying was restricted to the state and didn’t extend to federal officials.
As an Atlanta trucking accident lawyer, I have been especially concerned about Ferro’s strong support for the 11-hour trucking rule, in light of the mounting evidence that it placed truckers and motorists at greater risk. It doesn’t take a “rocket scientist” to appreciate that truck drivers are under constant pressure to meet tight delivery schedules, and the fewer hours they are forced to drive, the safer we all will be.
Thank you for this article. Truck drivers have a lot more responsibilty than people realize and many lives are at risk if proper precautions aren't taken.
the law does not need to be changed they just need to govern the speed of all the trucks even older ones to a maximum of 70 mph not change the hours
It's amazing how simillar the US Drivers' hours are to the EU Drivers' Hours regs. Drivers who breach their hours in the UK are dealt with severely. Hauliers in the UK also operate under an "Operator Licence Scheme" where they agree to adhere to Drivers Hours, Vehicle Maintenance, off street vehicle parking etc.
Most Drivers in the UK are professional and considerate individuals who have driving a truck in there blood.