Senior Reporter
FMCSA Ends Driver Recruitment for Restart Study
“The driver recruitment phase of the commercial motor vehicle driver restart study is now complete, and data collection is currently in progress,” the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said in an April 29 statement.
At the National Private Truck Council meeting in Cincinnati, FMCSA's chief safety officer said this week that the agency has signed up 239 drivers.
The goal of the congressionally mandated research is to conduct a five-month field study with a sample of drivers selected from small, medium and large carriers, and drivers from shorthaul, regional-haul and longhaul carriers, according to the study design.
In addition, researchers say they need a balanced sample of drivers from flatbed, refrigerated, dry van and tank industry segments.
The study will include on-the-job research to compare fatigue and safety performance levels of drivers who take at least two nighttime rest periods during their 34-hour restart break with those who take one nighttime rest period.
Congress has suspended the restart provisions in the hours-of-service rule until Sept. 30, pending FMCSA’s study of whether the rule bolsters highway safety. Under the suspended restart rule, drivers must take a rest break between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on two consecutive days.
FMCSA has said it hopes to complete the study by the end of the year.
Volunteer drivers for the study will be paid up to $2,166 for participating. They will be required to drive a truck equipped with a camera facing inward and a camera facing the road to monitor driving patterns.
Drivers also must wear a wrist activity monitor, complete a five-minute health background survey and dedicate up to 30 minutes a day to complete a sleep diary and caffeine log, perform smartphone-based assessments and track hours of service using an electronic logging device.
