Hours Comments Flow to DOT

The 90-day clock on the comment period for the Department of Transportation’s proposed changes to the hours-of-service regulation began ticking May 2, but response was already flowing into the agency as truck drivers, industry executives and safety critics took to the Internet to post their opinions.

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Meanwhile, federal officials announced the first of seven public hearings on the controversial proposal, which would limit most truck drivers to 12 hours of on-duty time. DOT plans to kick off the hearings with a two-day session, May 31 and June 1, at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Stan Hamilton, spokesman for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said the hearings likely will address:

• How the hours-of-service proposal would improve highway safety.
• Its effect on the personal, professional and family life of commercial vehicle drivers.
• How its effects touch various segments of the motor carrier industry.

Most of the first day will be devoted to comments about the science on driver fatigue and the human alertness cycle that DOT used in developing its proposal. The second day will look at proposed changes in recordkeeping and work and rest requirements for the five different types of drivers, including the use of on-board recorders to monitor compliance with the regulations.

For the full story, see the May 8 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.