HOS Rule Tops Survey of Trucking Concerns

ORLANDO, Fla. — Changes to the federal hours-of-service rule topped the 2013 survey of critical issues facing the North American trucking industry, the American Transportation Research Institute reported.

HOS, which was the No. 2 concern each of the past two years, returned to the top of the list for the first time since 2007, the year a federal court vacated portions of the rule. It topped the government’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, which slipped one spot on the list.

Rounding out the top five concerns were the driver shortage, the economy and the pending electronic logging mandate.

“ATRI’s annual survey of top industry issues makes it easier for us to keep track of all the complex forces affecting motor carrier and drivers so that we can focus on running a safe and profitable industry,” ATA Chairman Mike Card said in a statement issued Oct. 21 during the federation’s Management Conference & Exhibition here. Card is president of Combined Transport, based in Central Point, Ore.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s HOS rule was cited by 30% of survey respondents as the most significant issue facing the industry. An additional 28% listed it as second or third largest concern.

ATRI said “the high level of concern over HOS stems primarily from the December 2011 final rule issued by FMCSA which changed several key provisions,” such as reduced flexibility of the 34-hour restart and the mandatory 30-minute rest break.

An ATRI study previously found the restart change alone was expected to cost trucking $189 million, and 39% of respondents recommended the group continue studying the effects the rule changes are having on productivity, safety and overall industry operations.

Issues Nos. 6-10 were: the shortage of truck parking, driver retention, fuel supply/prices, highway infrastructure/funding/congestion and driver health.

Additional coverage of the ATRI survey will be included in the Oct. 28 print edition of Transport Topics.