Cirillo: 'Chill Out' on Hours Proposal

ORLANDO, Fla. – Trucking’s chief regulator has some advice for trucking: Relax.

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"My suggestion to everyone who is having an anxiety attack on hours of service is just chill out until the proposed rule is out," said Julie A. Cirillo, head of the federal Office of Motor Carrier Safety, in an Oct. 31 speech to the Truckload Carriers Association’s board of directors.

In both her speech and an interview afterwards, Cirillo said she can’t understand why American Trucking Associations – which has repeatedly criticized the department for its tardiness in issuing a proposed rule – now wants to delay the rule until a new motor carrier administration in place. "Regardless of what the Senate does, the new administration won’t be fully operational until October 2000," Cirillo said, referring to the possibility that Congress will complete action on legislation creating a federal agency devoted solely to trucking before adjourning for the year.

Cirillo anticipates a firestorm of controversy over DOT’s proposal, which is based on more than 120 studies, all of which are in the public record. "I don’t think the notice of proposed rulemaking will be 100% correct," she said. "If it was, we’d be issuing a final rule and not a proposed rule."

Cirillo wouldn’t comment extensively on the department’s draft, saying it is still being reviewed by Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater. It then must be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget before it can be published in the Federal Register.

She did offer some tidbits of information about the department’s proposal, however. It will probably look at a 24-hour clock instead of the current 18-hour cycle drivers currently live by, it will look at hours of rest and will take into account that drivers are most tired at night. "The rule will recognize that one size doesn’t fit all," she said. "We are trying to look at operational issues, including how often a driver gets home."