Data gleaned from currently ELD-compliant operators is already informing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s plan to propose changes to the bedrock hours-of-service rule, stated FMCSA’s Ray Martinez in an address to the Truckload Carriers Association.
Although full implementation of the electronic logging device mandate is yet months away, preliminary ELD data shows reductions in HOS violations, which means less fatigued and safer drivers, said Martinez, as reported by Heavy Duty Trucking. He said those positive results have “put a spotlight on something [HOS] that really has not been looked at in 15 years,” adding that changes to the rule may be warranted as a result.
“Commerce has changed. Technology has changed. And your business has changed. So, we put out an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking [aka “a pre-rule”] to ask questions and take comments on four areas of the HOS rule [under consideration for revision by the agency].”
Martinez reported that the HOS ANPRM has already generated 5,200 comments. He said the comments focused heavily on known pain points with HOS, including the 30-minute rest break and sleeper-berth provisions of the rule.
Martinez said the agency was continuing to evaluate the comments and is “very close” to deciding whether it can “move forward with an NPRM that would provide definitive text” to launch the next phase.
Full HDT article here.