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Within the last three and a half years, the U. S. trucking industry has seen the most expensive regulatory action in decades, imposing $46 billion in annual costs. Current discussion on mandating EOBR’s on all trucks would add another $2 billion to the figure.
There are around 500,000 trucking companies in the United States, down from 1.2 million from 2003. Out of these 500,000 approximately 80% operate 20 trucks or less.
These smaller companies, the true backbone of an industrialized nation, along with independent and owner operators are literally in a fight for survival against over-regulation. Regulations that always seem to come tagged with the term, “safety.”
The most vital of regulations for the professional truck driver are the hours of service (HOS) rule. These rules determine how long a driver can drive and work, thus having the largest impact on their income potential.
The newest change in the HOS rule which will come into compliance on July 1st, 2013 will limit a driver’s work week to 70 hours, not allow the driver to operate the CMV after working eight hours until a rest break of at least 30 minutes has been taken and drivers who maximize their 70 hour work week will be required to take at least two rest periods between the hours of 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. home terminal time. This will eliminate the current usage of the 34 hour restart provision where the driver will be allowed to use the provision only once during a seven-day period.
This addition of more downtime for drivers, along with the push to get as many miles and payable work in as possible within 14 hours will ultimately lead to less safety. The 14 hour rule, in my opinion, is the worst and most unsafe regulation to ever hit the professional truck driver. Many motor carriers continue to push their drivers to the maximum 14 hours with the maximum workload possible. Bottom line… the oncoming new HOS rules, while ignoring the fact of how companies push their drivers, is a recipe for disaster.
Most countries have hours of service rules imposed for truck drivers, specifically industrialized nations such as the United States, Canada, Australia and countries of the European Union. So, how does the FMCSA hours of service rule for truckers compare with the HOS rule of other countries?
Australia
Canada
There are two sets of hours of service rules, one for above 60th parallel north, and one for below.
Above 60th parallel north
European Union
Mexico
Where the U. S. rules are established through the governmental body of the FMCSA, the rules for truck drivers in Mexico are established by a Constitutional mandate, meaning that it falls under the country’s labor laws.
The United States
Changes to HOS rule, July 1st, 2013:
As the U. S. trucking industry continues to be bombarded with “safety regulations”, the true solution to the issue is not more regulations, but control of the real problem. As truck driver fatigue is touted as a major cause of truck accidents, coupled with other variables such as sleep apnea, the factual causes of driver fatigue are ignored.
Delaying drivers at the shipper and receiver docks, dispatchers pushing drivers beyond the legal hours of service, lack of safe parking and rest areas, anti-idling laws and failure to provide an APU system for the driver, lack of home time and keeping drivers out for months at a time; just a few of many real causes of driver fatigue and safety factors.
The problem with truck driver fatigue and safety issues will only be resolved when the FMCSA takes a hard look at the practices of shippers and receivers and those motor carriers that continue to push the professional CMV driver above and beyond human capabilities.
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Source by Aubrey Allen Smith
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