A fiscal 2016 funding bill would direct federal trucking regulators to expand a review of a suspended hours-of-service restart rule for motor carriers before that rule may be reinstated. Update, Dec. 18, 10 a.m. ET: The House has passed the bill and the Senate is expected to follow suit. Update, Dec. 18, 11:45 a.m. ET: The Senate has approved the bill as well.
The bill, known as an omnibus funding package, states that the HOS restart rule’s review must demonstrate statistically the rule results in significant improvements in “all outcomes related to safety operator fatigue,” health and work schedules.
These new metrics to the review likely would maintain the rule’s suspension for many months. A vote on the omnibus is expected at the end of the week.
“FMCSA foisted these restrictions on the industry without doing a proper investigation into how they might impact trucking safety and truck drivers’ health and longevity, so it is completely appropriate for Congress to establish a safety and health standard,” American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves said.
“We greatly appreciate Congress’ attention into this important matter and their insistence that FMCSA properly vet and support the rules they promulgate,” added Dave Osiecki, ATA executive vice president and chief of national advocacy.
The HOS restart rules requiring truck drivers to take off two consecutive periods of 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. during a 34-hour restart were suspended upon enactment of a 2014 funding law. Truckers still have to adhere to pre-July 2013 hours-of-service regulations.
