Federal regulators are proposing to review whether to allow certain truckers to have temporary relief from sleeper berth regulation.
A pilot program the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing would examine whether regulatory flexibility for an existing sleeper-berth hours of service rule would lead to improvements in alertness for drivers who frequently rely on a sleeper berth for their 10 hours of non-duty work time.
“This pilot program seeks to produce statistically reliable evidence on the question whether split sleeper berth time affects driver safety performance and fatigue levels,” according to the agency, in an announcement in the Federal Register on June 6.
The pilot program would tap commercial drivers who have trucks equipped with a sleeper berth, and use it regularly. The focus group would consist of drivers from small and large carriers, team drivers and owner-operators. The agency is aiming to recruit 200 participants to achieve “statistical significance.”
When the program concludes, FMCSA will then update Congress about its findings and recommendations, such as suggested amendments to laws and regulations.
The agency noted that truckers who drive commercial motor vehicles with a sleeper berth, and who use the sleeper berth provision, must account for at least eight consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, and separate two consecutive hours either in the sleeper berth, off duty, or any combination of the two, before returning to work.
