Feds ask for delay of trucker hours rule

[Cybergal]

Feds ask for delay of trucker hours rule
9/21/07

WASHINGTON (AP) - Government trucking regulators on Friday asked a federal court to delay a requirement that would reduce by one hour the time truckers can drive continuously.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Friday requested a 12-month stay from a mandate of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The court has ordered the daily driving limit be cut to 10 hours for long-haul truckers.

The action supports a request made by the American Trucking Associations earlier this month for an 8-month stay. The agency backed the trade group's assertions that reducing the limit this month would be expensive and require it to retrain drivers and operating personnel, reprint logs, reengineer routes and make other changes.

The enforcement of the new requirements 'will also be subject to substantial disruption from the confusion that will result if a stay is not granted,' according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration filing.

The ATA, whose members include United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE:UPS) , FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) , JB Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) and YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ:YRCW) , welcomed the federal agency's action.

cnn-money-continues

 

[Roadmedic]

This is definately good news if the court grants it.

 

[Mike]

Ok, I have rambled a 5 mile long post to this thread 3 different times now, but deleted it each time.

Bottom line:

The ATA isn't doing this for the drivers. They are doing it for the big companies that are filling their pockets. The big companies are doing this because the big retailer are worrying about not getting there products fast enough.

The current HOS rules are horrible. They were thrown together because the FMCSA was forced into it. Outside of the 34 hour restart, they do nothing beneficial to the driver. Being able to drive an extra hour is not beneficial. We need to be concentrating on getting better compensated for the work we do, not looking for HOS rules that allow us to work more and get more miles.

I won't go into it any more than that at the moment, because my head has been spinning with thoughts and ideas since I decided to start this website, but bottom line, I want to make things better for drivers, and make the job they do more appealing so we don't have this 100% turnover rate.

 

[Roadmedic]

Very true.

From the driver standpoint, the extra hours just mean more work. The companies were the real benefiters from the law.

I personally like the 34 hr restart and just hate having to consider tracking the hours again.

 

[Mike]

I personally like the 34 hr restart and just hate having to consider tracking the hours again.

Yeah, I have learned to really love that rule.

I don't stay out very long at all. I run Southeast, mainly from Texas to Alabama or Georgia, then right back home, followed by a shorthaul or two, and maybe some hourly work.

When I run, I run hard, but I am always well rested as I can show at least one 34 hour restart every week from home, sometimes two.

I have never added up my hours with this company