FMCSA announces livestreamed listening sessions for proposed changes to trucker hours-of-service rules
Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will conduct multiple public listening sessions regarding an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on its hours-of-service regulations for commercial truck drivers.
According to a notice published in the Sept. 27 Federal Register, the meetings will take place:
- Sept. 28 at 4 State Trucks in Joplin, MO.
- Oct. 2 at MetroPlan Orlando in Orlando, FL.
FMCSA also has scheduled a session for Oct. 10 at the Department of Transportation, a Sept. 26 announcement from the agency states. A previously scheduled session in Washington was postponed because of Hurricane Florence.
Livestreams of each meeting will be available at fmcsa.dot.gov/calendar.
As outlined in a notice published in the Aug. 23 Federal Register, FMCSA is considering the following revisions:
- Expanding the current 100 air-mile “short-haul” exemption to 14 hours on duty from 12 hours on duty, to be consistent with rules for long-haul truck drivers.
- Extending the current 14-hour on-duty limitation by up to two hours when a truck driver encounters adverse driving conditions.
- Revising the current mandatory 30-minute break for truck drivers after eight hours of continuous driving.
- Reinstating the option for splitting up the required 10-hour off-duty rest break for drivers operating trucks equipped with sleeper berth compartments.
The agency also is requesting input on separate petitions seeking relief from HOS rules:
- To allow covered commercial motor vehicle operators one rest break – for up to three consecutive hours – during every 14-hour on-duty period (filed by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association).
- To allow covered CMV operators to use multiple off-duty periods of at least three hours in place of taking 10 consecutive hours off duty (filed by TruckerNation.org).
FMCSA hosted previous listening sessions on Aug. 24 in Dallas and Sept. 22 in Reno, NV.
Comments on the ANPRM are due by Oct. 10.
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