Hours-of-Service Proposal Criticized

A proposal to negotiate a new hours-of-service rule for truck drivers was criticized this week by highway safety advocate Joan Claybrook and Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn.

Claybrook said she would not participate in a negotiated rulemaking because she believes the trucking industry wants an increase in the number of hours a driver can spend behind the wheel. "We think the hours of service ought to go down," she said. "There ought to be an agreement that both issues should be on the table in a negotiated rulemaking. If it is not on the table, there is no basis for negotiation.

Claybrook made the comments during a March 2 panel on fatigue during the Department of Transportation’s National Transportation Safety Conference.

American Trucking Associations President Walter B. McCormick Jr., said his organization has no specific proposal for increasing drivers’ hours. "We support a science-based rule that would change the construct," McCormick said. "If a person can drive and do so safely, we believe they should be allowed to drive."

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