Peterbilt Motors Co. unveiled a 72-inch low-roof sleeper configuration for its Model 589 tractor on March 8.

A tweak of the hours-of-service (HOS) rule that went into effect on Sept. 29 has put a new 7/3 split in the mix as an alternative to meet 10-hour off-duty requirements in the sleeper berth. It also may be a bit confusing.

The used Class 8 sleeper market is showing signs of a rebound, said Mary Aufdemberg, president of Daimler Trucks Remarketing.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has denied a five-year exemption request by Department of Defense highly sensitive cargo carrier PTS Worldwide to split sleeper berth hours into segments of 4/6, 5/5 or 6/4 hours.

The U.S. Department of Labor has clarified that the time drivers spend in sleeper berths does not count as compensable time, unless they are actually performing work or are on call.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has scrapped plans for a 12-month split sleeper berth pilot program designed to collect real-world data on the safety of drivers who split their sleeper berth time in a variety of ways.

Federal trucking regulators have been angling for a flexible sleeper berth pilot program since 2010, but a request for public comment posted in the Federal Register in late October showed that plans for the program are behind schedule.

Volvo Trucks North America introduced a redesigned version of its VNL-series over-the-road tractor July 10, 2017, in Dublin, Va. (Joe Howard/Transport Topics)