Trucking

Washington – A group of organizations representing livestock transporters has requested a permanent exemption from the 30-minute rest-break requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service regulations, citing animal safety concerns.

Washington – Effective immediately, all short-haul truck drivers are exempt from a 30-minute rest break requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service regulations.

Washington – A federal appeals court on Aug. 2 upheld all but one provision of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s 2011 hours-of-service final rule.

Washington – Eliminating a “burdensome” paperwork requirement for truck inspections will save the trucking industry $1.7 billion annually, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said in a notice of proposed rulemaking announced Aug. 1.

To help truck drivers be physically and mentally prepared for the demands of their jobs, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration mandates a minimum number of hours drivers must sleep on days they drive. What these regulations cannot take into account, however, is whether drivers who have a sleeping disorder have actually achieved restful sleep before getting behind the wheel.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s cross-border trucking pilot program will continue, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled on July 26.

Washington – Single-unit trucks should be included in many of the same safety rules as other types of large trucks, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Arlington, VA – The American Trucking Associations is asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to give all drivers transporting hazardous materials more flexibility regarding FMCSA’s rest-break requirement.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is now permitting states to allow mobile electronic devices such as smartphones or GPS navigation units to be used as transponders for electronic screening systems.

Arlington, VA – The American Transportation Research Institute, the research arm of the American Trucking Associations, has launched a website on commercial motor vehicle operator fatigue management.