WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation told federal transportation officials this week that a proposal to limit the number of hours truck drivers spend behind the wheel each day would increase costs for businesses and consumers while undermining intended safety benefits by putting more trucks on the road during the most-congested hours.
“As a result of the current 11-hour daily driving limit, U.S. retailers have been able to achieve significant efficiencies within their supply chains and distribution networks,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. “Any change to this daily driving limit will upset the careful balance and efficiencies that have been achieved and require changes to those new systems and processes. In addition, such changes could result in significantly higher transportation costs and could lead to less safety as additional drivers and trucks will be required to make up for the shortfall.”
Proposed changes would increase transportation costs by anywhere from 3 percent to 20 percent depending on a specific retailer’s supply chain network and operations, “and would adversely impact the U.S. economy,” French said.
French’s remarks came in comments filed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in response to a proposal that would potentially decrease the current 11-hour on-duty “hours of service” limit for drivers in effect since the beginning of 2004 to a 10-hour limit. In addition, the 34 hours of time off currently required between each week of driving would now have to include at least two midnight-to-6 a.m. periods of nighttime rest.
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“As a result of the current 11-hour daily driving limit, U.S. retailers have been able to achieve significant efficiencies within their supply chains and distribution networks,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. “Any change to this daily driving limit will upset the careful balance and efficiencies that have been achieved and require changes to those new systems and processes. In addition, such changes could result in significantly higher transportation costs and could lead to less safety as additional drivers and trucks will be required to make up for the shortfall.”
Proposed changes would increase transportation costs by anywhere from 3 percent to 20 percent depending on a specific retailer’s supply chain network and operations, “and would adversely impact the U.S. economy,” French said.
French’s remarks came in comments filed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in response to a proposal that would potentially decrease the current 11-hour on-duty “hours of service” limit for drivers in effect since the beginning of 2004 to a 10-hour limit. In addition, the 34 hours of time off currently required between each week of driving would now have to include at least two midnight-to-6 a.m. periods of nighttime rest.
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