Updates to Trucking and Hours of Service Regulations
Posted on Thu, Sep 15, 2011 @ 11:17 AM
In late 2010, the FMCSA proposed new hours-of-service (HOS) rules and the process is slowly proceeding in Washington with input from industry groups and highway safety advocates. The new rule would impose a limit of 13 hours on duty within the current driving window of 14 hours. A reduction of actual driving hours from 11 to 10 is also being considered. These cuts are part of yet another attempt to decrease the truck driver accidents caused by fatigued driving.
Another measure being taken to stop tired driving is electronic on-board recorders. The EOBRs document a driver's HOS instead of log books commonly known as "cheat sheets." Some companies already have electronic systems implemented because they ensure efficient scheduling of vehicle and driver operations. The FMCSA is confident that mandatory electronic tracking would prevent HOS violations and reduce semi crashes. Because of how many truck related crashes are fatal, it is vital to prevent fatigued driving in the supply chain management industry.
“The U.S. Senate is pushing legislation that would give more power to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration”. The FMCSA is being given more power because of the publicity truck crashes are getting. If the new legislation passes, the FMCSA would get the power to revoke a trucking company's registration due to safety violations, even if the company assumes a different business name and re-registers for business; which has been a major problem among commercial bus companies.