Researcher says FMCSA misused his work to support HOS changes

Arlington, VA – A researcher who worked on studies the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration used to support its proposed rule for hours of service says the agency misapplied his findings, the American Trucking Associations said Feb. 28.

According to an ATA press release, to support its HOS proposal for commercial motor vehicle drivers, FMCSA misapplied the work of Francesco Cappuccio, a physician, professor and researcher at Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom and co-author of a 2007 study that analyzed 16 published studies on the effect of sleep duration on mortality.

Cappuccio said in a new report (.pdf file) that his work does not support FMCSA’s conclusion that the agency’s proposed decrease in daily driving hours will lead to increased sleep and, in turn, reduced mortality risk for CMV drivers.

ATA opposes the proposed rule and has urged FMCSA to leave current limits as is. FMCSA agreed to review and possibly revise HOS as part of a settlement agreement made in October 2009. FMCSA is required to issue a final rule on HOS by summer 2011.