ARLINGTON, Va. — Joining the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association here has come out in opposition to proposed changes to current federal hours-of-service rules for truck drivers.
RILA communicated to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last week that the proposed changes will not strengthen truck driver health and safety, but instead threaten to reverse gains made to safety on the roadways, congestion issues and environmental sustainability.
The proposal would potentially decrease the current 11-hour on-duty hours-of-service limit for drivers in effect since the beginning of 2004 to a 10-hour limit. In addition, the 34 hours of time off currently required between each week of driving would now have to include at least two midnight-to-6 a.m. periods of nighttime rest.
“The most recent data from DOT shows that under the current system there have been significant gains in safety, making the trucking industry the safest it has ever been even as higher numbers of vehicles are on the roadways,” said Kolb. “Imposing these unnecessary changes deviates from the positive safety trends and sustainable advancements that the current system affords and comes at the expense of drivers and businesses, creating a string of future problems without making any valid improvements right now.”
