ATA: Research Flawed in FMCSA Study Used to Make Hours-of-Service Changes

A researcher who worked on the scientific studies used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in formulating its hours-of-service rules said the agency misapplied those studies’ findings, American Trucking Associations said Monday.

FMCSA used the work of Francesco Cappuccio, a physician, professor and researcher at Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom, who reviewed 16 published studies on the effect of sleep duration on mortality and co-authored a 2007 study that the agency leaned on most heavily to support its proposal.

The agency used the study to conclude that short projected increases in sleep could generate roughly $690 million in annual health benefits for drivers, ATA said Monday.

But Cappuccio said in a new report that FMCSA misused his sleep research and concluded that the agency cannot use it to quantify benefits to justify its regulatory changes, ATA said in a statement.

Cappuccio also stated there is “no evidence to prove, that without additional measures, a simple reduction in work hours will result in increased sleep time,” according to ATA.

ATA “has said since the outset that policy changes of this scope need to be based on sound science and research, not political pressure and unproven theories,” said ATA President Bill Graves.

“The fact that this prominent physician and sleep researcher clearly states the agency is wrong to use his and others work in this way clearly exposes the serious flaws in this proposal,” he said in a statement.

ATA earlier this month cited a separate study citing flaws in FMCSA’s proposed HOS rule. The proposed hours-of-service regulation was widely panned by the trucking industry at an industry “listening session” Feb. 17.

ATA posted the findings of Cappuccio’s most recent study on its website. (PDF)

The public comment period on the HOS rule has been extended through this Friday, March 4.