Transportation spending bill would amend certain CMV regulations

Washington – A House bill that would fund the Department of Transportation for the next five years includes proposed changes to commercial motor vehicle safety regulations.

The proposed bill would amend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service rule to require a field study before going into effect. The current rule limits the 34-hour restart provision that allows CMV drivers to “reset” their weekly hourly limit to only once per week and if the driver takes two sleep periods from 1 to 5 a.m. If the HOS provision – currently scheduled to go into effect in July 2013 – did not pass the field study, FMCSA would be required to rewrite the rule.

At press time, the bill was in committee, and if approved would go to conference in the Senate. A Senate transportation funding bill that would fund DOT for two years is currently in consideration in that chamber.