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Carriers, drivers and other interested parties have until February 28 to submit their comments on FMCSA’s proposed revisions to the Hours-of-Service rules.

Safety advocates and big industry associations started weighing in on FMCSA’s new Hours of Service (HOS) proposal shortly after the preview copy appeared on the agency’s website on December 23. Now it’s your turn to get involved in the conversation.

FMCSA’s HOS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) hit the Federal Register on Wednesday and for 60 days (until February 28, 2011) the agency is accepting comments that could help shape the final rule. In this issue we will be discussing the highlights of FMCSA’s proposal. Please send an email request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like us to send you a PDF copy of the proposed rule.

Driving Time Question Remains Unanswered

The long wait for the Hours-of-Service NPRM may be over, but the driving time question remains. In its proposal, FMCSA is recommending limiting drivers to either 10 or 11 hours of driving time after at least 10 consecutive hours off duty. Currently, the agency said, it is leaning toward reducing drive time to 10 hours. The only good news here is that the 9-hour driving limit, which was discussed as a possibility, appears to be off the table.

To help determine the driving time mandated in the forthcoming HOS rule, FMCSA is seeking data on fatigue-related crashes, the economic impact of a 10-hour vs. 11-hour driving limit, and how much driving is actually done between the 10th and 11th hours.

Proposal Adjusts Driving Window

The agency is proposing a standard driving window of 14 hours. Therefore, if the proposal becomes a final rule drivers will have 14 hours after coming on duty to complete their 10 or 11 hours of driving (depending on which driving limit FMCSA settles on).

If you think that seems too simple for a Federal regulation, you may have a future at FMCSA. The agency has also proposed to limit the actual on-duty time during that 14-hour driving window to 13 hours of onduty time. As such, drivers will be required to take at least one hour of break time during the standard driving window.

In another interesting twist, FMCSA is proposing an option that would allow drivers to extend their daily shift twice a week. Any time worked over 14 hours would count as an extension. As proposed, the extension does not extend a driver’s 13 hours of duty time. Any driver who would want to take advantage of the 16th hour would need to take 3 hours of off-duty time during the standard driving window. The definition of on-duty is being tweaked to allow drivers to count some of the time spent parked in their trucks as offduty hours.

Mandatory Breaks for Drivers

The proposal also introduces a 30-minute break requirement for drivers. Upon reaching the 7th hour after coming on duty, the driver may remain on-duty, but cannot resume driving without taking a 30-minute break. For example, a driver who opts to take a half-hour break 4 hours after coming on duty will need take another break no later than 11.5 hours after coming on duty to continue driving.

New Limits to the 34-Hour Restart

FMCSA is also proposing two new limits to the 34-hour restart. The goal of these changes is to reduce safety and health impacts that result from long weekly hours, according to the agency.

First, any 34-hour or longer period used as a restart must include two consecutive off-duty periods from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. This requirement is less of an issue for daytime drivers since their schedules allow them to get two nights of sleep in a 34-hour period. However, a driver with a night-time driving schedule would be required to spend an extra day off duty to meet the restart requirement and maintain their night-time driving schedule. The issue, according to FMCSA, is that night shift workers have a tendency to switch to a regular night-time sleeping schedule during their days off. As a result, many night drivers are only getting one night of restorative rest before beginning a new “work week.”

The second limit would allow drivers to begin only one restart during a 7-day period. So, regardless of when they meet their maximum driving time for a given week, they will not be able to begin their 34-hour restart until 168 hours after the previous restart. Imagine a driver ends a work week and begins the 34-hour restart at 6 p.m. on Friday. The earliest he could return to duty would be Sunday at 6 a.m., and the earliest he could begin the next restart would be 6 p.m. the following Friday. If the driver runs out of weekly hours at 3 p.m. on Friday, he cannot include the time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. as part of his 34-hour restart. The three hours would simply be counted as off-duty time.

How to Comment

FMCSA is currently accepting comments online at www.regulations.gov as well as via fax, mail and hand delivery. Be sure to include the docket number (FMCSA–2004–19608) on all comments. Also, indicate the specific section of the NPRM that the comment addresses as well as the reasoning behind each comment or suggestion. All comments will be posted at www.regulations.gov.

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Find more articles at Fresnobee.com
By Rick Daysog - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

TRANSPORT TOPICS - December 6, 2010
By Sean McNally
Senior Reporter

FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said the HOS rule, which was expected to be published near the end of October but remains under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget, is one of several agenda items the agency plans to complete before the end of 2010.

“We have a lot of things that got pushed to the end of the year,” Ferro told a freight transportation forum at the Swedish Embassy here Dec. 1.

“We all know that rule is at OMB,” she said, “and that rule will be published as soon as OMB is finished with its review. We’re hoping, certainly by the end of this year, that’s our goal.”

Ferro said she couldn’t discuss what was in the rule, joking that the words “hours of service [are] about as much as I can say.”

In addition to the hours rule, Ferro said the agency would have its expanded electronic onboard recorder proposal “on the street at the end of this year.”

That rule, she said, “takes us beyond what we have today, which is a remedial EOBR rule that applies a requirement for EOBRs to carriers who have a higher violation rate in their hours-of-service noncompliance and driver-log noncompliance... Continue to read more... (subscription may required at TTnews.com)

River Falls Journal

Wisconsin News - A Wisconsin group is trying to get more women to pursue trucking as a career.

A Wisconsin group is trying to get more women to pursue trucking as a career. Ellen Voie of the Women in Trucking Association says females make up less than 5% of what she calls a very male-dominated environment on the road.

She says men also dominate other parts of the industry, including leadership and office roles. Voie’s group is based in Plover.

It works with manufacturers on ways that trucks could better accommodate women. And the group works with travel centers to understand the needs of female truck drivers.

Voie said the industry is becoming more female friendly, but it’s got a long way... Continue to read more on River Falls Journal...

10/30/2010

Up to 100 jobs to be created between maintenance and office personnel.

CHATTANOOGA, TN. – October 28, 2010 – U.S. Xpress Enterprises, a leading provider of transportation services throughout North America, has opened its newest full-service terminal facility at 1069 Seibert Avenue in Shippensburg, PA.

The property is situated on over 50 acres and spans nearly 70,000 square feet. Features of the full-service facility include: drivers’ lounge with shower facilities and Internet access, convenience store, fuel islands, maintenance shop, ample parking for trailers and driver vehicles, administrative office space, orientation/training rooms, and 37,600 sq. ft. of warehouse space.

“Expanding into the Northeast with a major hub is a strategic move that we have been looking forward to taking for some time now as our customer base and volumes have grown in the region,” states Max Fuller, Co-Chairman and CEO. “Having a greater presence in this region enables us to continue to enhance our commitment to providing superior customer service.”

The new location for U.S. Xpress brings several jobs to the area, including 50 immediate full-time employees and up to 50 additional positions in the near future for maintenance and office personnel.

“We think Shippensburg is a great area, and the terminal location is perfectly positioned to fit our growth strategies within this region,” states Patrick Quinn, Co-Chairman and President. “One benefit of growth is creating employment opportunities within communities where we have a local presence. Participating in our local communities is a core value to U.S. Xpress, and we are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with everyone in the Shippensburg area.”

U.S. Xpress purchased the facility, which is located conveniently off Interstate 81, from Cressler Trucking, Inc. A complete energy-efficient lighting upgrade has been made throughout the facility, with plans for more sustainable initiatives, like materials recycling, in the near future.

U.S. Xpress recently launched a new website to better serve its customers, drivers and employees. For those looking for employment with U.S. Xpress, they may visit the site to sign up for job alerts. Please visit www.usxpress.com for more details. Current job listings can be found within the Careers section of the company’s new corporate website.

About U.S. Xpress Enterprises:

Founded in 1985, U.S. Xpress Enterprises is the nation’s third largest privately-owned truckload carrier, providing a wide variety of transportation solutions throughout North America. We are committed to being at the forefront of safety compliance, using comprehensive training for our staff and drivers and ensuring our trucks feature the latest safety innovations. With a dedication to minimizing our impact on the environment, U.S. Xpress is a SmartWay Transport Partner and was honored with a 2009 SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award. U.S. Xpress Enterprises’ affiliates include Arnold Transportation Services, Smith Transport, Total Transportation of Mississippi, and Xpress Internacional. For more information, please visit www.usxpress.com.