On October 21, the public comment period closed for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on hours of service (HOS). More than 2,700 comments were submitted to the Agency, with arguments both in favor of and opposed to the NPRM’s five key proposals being well represented.
TCA’s comments to FMCSA generally support the NPRM and we applaud the Agency for moving forward with much-needed changes to the regulations, which do not presently provide the necessary flexibility for the industry. However, along with highlighting the positive aspects of the NPRM, TCA used these comments to expound upon a few concerns that the proposals raised.
The main item of concern was with the proposed changes to the sleeper-berth provision. While TCA wholeheartedly agrees that more flexibility should be added to the regulations, we do not believe the addition of a 7/3 split goes far enough to address critical issues being faced by our professional truck drivers every day.
Everything from driver detention at shipping and receiving facilities, highway congestion, and weather disturbances can be mitigated by full sleeper-berth flexibility – allowing drivers to take their required rest breaks at any interval they choose, when it works best with their sleep schedules and when the driver is actually feeling the need for that break. Drivers deserve to be in full control of their day as they are the only ones who truly understand what they are seeing on the roads and feeling with their own bodies. This can best be accomplished by taking a holistic approach to the 24-hour workday, as our drivers are out on the open road for many days at a time. TCA does not advocate for extending the workday, but we believe the regulations should reflect the true nature of our drivers’ schedules.
Truckload carriers and their drivers need a complete overhaul of the sleeper-berth provision – not just the small tweak currently proposed by FMCSA. While the 7/3 split option is a step in the right direction, TCA firmly believes it is not enough and we strongly encourage FMCSA to pursue additional flexibility in future regulations.
Although new guidance on mask wearing returns the industry to some semblance of normalcy after over a year of lockdowns and restrictions, employers should remain cautious in revising policies.
While Texans are accustomed to living life free of excessive state-level taxes, they were in for a shock when their own U.S. Senator, Republican John Cornyn, used his national platform to advocate for the establishment of a truck-only vehicle miles traveled tax.
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The nation’s top trucking research group plans to update previous studies on the effects of legalized marijuana and other drugs on truck safety along with integrating 18- to 20-year-old drivers into the industry.
Throughout the entire 90-year history of trucking in the United States, excessive detention has been a scourge on the industry. An upcoming 90-minute immersive workshop will share tools and strategies to combat this issue and keep the wheels moving and profitable.
While a request for Supreme Court review of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to overturn an injunction banning enforcement of California’s AB5 will almost certainly follow, at this time, motor carriers who operate in California must be prepared to act in accordance with AB5.
The word “safety” is everywhere in the trucking industry. It is talked about nearly every day in the press, Congress has zeroed in on it, and most carriers will say that it is their top priority. With all this attention, it’s easy to believe that safety has become cliché. But it’s not.
A day after Colonial Pipeline said there was light at the end of the tunnel for the line’s closure due to a cyberattack, the impact of the shutdown on the ground is being felt.
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