Trucking Industry Struggles With New HOS Rules

On behalf of Lovett Law Firm posted in Truck Accidents on Monday, November 25, 2013.

Earlier this year, truck drivers received new rules governing the number of hours they are permitted to be behind the wheel. Those rules include a number of provisions, including driving limits, rest breaks, and stop-restart rules. The new rules were passed in an effort to reduce truck accidents caused by driver fatigue, but they have not been fully accepted in the industry.

According to many in the trucking industry, the new hours of service rules are negatively impacting the ability of truck drivers to get their work done and make a living. Ironically, they claim that the new rules leave drivers more fatigued and stressed, with less income and time at home and more time on the road and in traffic more. Much of the blame has been placed on the decreased flexibility for truckers.

From the perspective of many in the industry, the new rules constitute micromanagement of truck drivers and actually reduce highway safety. These are the perspective reported in a survey recently conducted by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Foundation.

The need for flexibility is apparently something trucking industry spokesmen repeatedly pointed out to regulators, but which they claim was given insufficient attention in the final rules.

Driver fatigue is a major cause of truck accidents. While regulators and the industry may have to work out which rules optimize trucker safety practices, it is imperative that something be done to reduce driver fatigue. Ultimately, much of the responsibility lies in the hands of individual truckers, who need to know their limits and abide by the rules governing the industry, whatever they may be.