Seven months after changing Hours of Service (HOS) rules, including the controversial “34-hour restart rule,” the FMCSA finally released a field test report that it says validates those changes.
But on the same day the report was released, one of the authors of a bill to repeal the HOS changes called the report “worthless.”
According to the report, the FMCSA’s found that there was a “significant difference” in lapses of attention, sleepiness, lane deviation and other measures for drivers who adhered to the 34-hour restart rule and those that did not. A total of 106 drivers completed the field test, providing a total of 1,260 days of data and a total of over 414,000 miles driven. The drivers represented various types of trucking operations and included 44 local drivers, 26 regional drivers, and 36 over-the-road drivers, according to the FMCSA.
However, both lawmakers and industry representatives immediately blasted the report.
“Considering the study arrived four months late, I expected a robust report, but the study is worthless,” U.S. Representative Richard Hanna, R-N.Y. said in a statement he released the same day the field test report was released.
“First, FMCSA is telling millions of truckers when they are tired, but the study only examined 100 truckers from three companies. In addition, the study’s narrow scope does not address perhaps the most serious issue that could change the entire outcome of the study – forcing truckers to work in the morning rush hour when roads are most congested and dangerous.
“This half-baked study only underscores the need to legislatively delay the rule and have GAO conduct an independent analysis of the study so we can get a credible account of what this rule will truly mean for the safety of truckers, commuters and businesses.”
“Unfortunately this was a study that was sort of thrown together,” said Todd Spencer, vice president of trucking industry group Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. “But realistically we don’t think it’s representative of the industry that was supposed to be the beneficiary (or the victim depending on your point of view) of the new regulations.”
The 34-hour restart ruling has been controversial since its inception. Truckers and industry representatives have argued vociferously against the ruling, saying the rule is expensive and does nothing to reduce driver fatigue. Many have argued that by forcing more rigs and drivers onto highways during morning rush hours, it diminishes safety.
In response to these arguments, Hanna and others have introduced legislation in both branches of Congress to rescind the changes until the Government Accountability Office can conduct an independent study.
For the meantime, however, the 34-hour restart rule is the law of the land. With increased penalties for violations, it is more important than ever to use Office Tenders for comprehensive log book auditing. Contact us today for more information.
