Surveys aim to gauge truck industry’s thoughts on hours-of-service rule

Arlington, VA – Truck drivers and carriers can participate in a confidential survey to discuss how new hours-of-service regulations have affected their operations.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new HOS rule went into effect July 1. It requires truck drivers to take a rest break of at least 30 minutes after eight hours of on-duty time, and limits use of a 34-hour “restart” rule to only once every seven days – with two rest periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

The American Transportation Research Institute, the research arm of the American Trucking Associations, is inviting drivers and carriers to take the survey, available until the end of October, according to Rebecca Brewster, president and chief operating officer of ATRI. The surveys make up the second phase of ongoing research by ATRI on the requirements. The first phase included surveys on drivers’ and carriers’ expected impacts of the changes to the restart provision. A June 17 ATRI report on the surveys concluded that FMCSA underestimated the potential costs of the restart rule changes to the trucking industry.