PATT Demands Fatigue Solutions

SAN DIEGO — Parents Against Tired Truckers, which contends that company policies are at the root of driver fatigue, called upon the industry to start paying truck drivers by the hour, with extra for overtime and full compensation for all time worked.

Payment by the mile creates an incentive for truckers to drive more to earn more, often violating hours of service limits, said PATT, which invited those interested in trucking safety to a summit on the issue of driver fatigue, Feb. 26 and 27.

Many at the conference joined with PATT in advocating hourly pay for truckers. They also said all truck drivers should be covered by the Fair Labor and Standards Act, the federal law that entitles employees to time-and-a-half overtime pay.

As for pressuring drivers to do too much, Brian McLaughlin, chief of the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety’s National Programs Division, said the Federal Highway Administration sought authority from Congress in last year’s highway bill to extend its jurisdiction to shippers and receivers in order to better target the source of unrealistic delivery schedules.

Congress didn’t grant that request, but instead asked for a study on the idea.

“If we do the job we’re capable of with the study we were asked to do on the issue, we can persuade Congress to give us that authority in the future,” said McLaughlin, who indicated that FWHA is attempting to gain the authority through regulatory action in the meantime.

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