ATA Welcomes New Rule on Hours of Service

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) said it welcomes the Interim Final Rule on drivers' Hours of Service issued yesterday by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The rule retains the key components of the 2004 rule, which ATA has supported because in just four years it has led to significant decreases in the number of fatal large truck crashes, the fatal large truck crash rate, the number of injuries from truck-involved crashes, and the injury crash rate.

"FMCSA has made an important contribution to highway safety by keeping in force Hours of Service rules that have led to a reduction in deaths and injuries over the last several years," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves.

The new rule reflects the scientific research that shows that the comprehensive regulations in effect since 2004 (except for a change in sleeper berth regulations in October 2005) promote driver alertness and enhance highway safety. Components of the rule include:

* Increasing from 8 to 10 hours the minimum amount of time that drivers must be off-duty between shifts, providing a greater opportunity for 7 to 8 hours of sleep;
* Reducing the maximum daily on-duty time by one hour from 15 to 14 and eliminating the provision allowing this time be "tolled" by breaks;
* Providing a maximum 11-hour driving time per shift to complete runs safely;
* Promoting schedules nearer to a 24-hour circadian cycle;
* Allowing for a minimum of 34 consecutive off-duty hours of rest, recovery and restart to eliminate potential sleep debt.

The FMCSA cited data collected by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute that showed there is no increase in crash risk in the 11th hour of driving. Government and industry safety data and metrics clearly indicate that the current HOS rules are an improvement in truck safety over the pre-2004 rules. For example:

* The number of truck-involved fatalities decreased 4.7 percent in 2006 - from 5,240 in 2005 to 4,995 in 2006 - the largest percentage drop in truck-involved fatalities since 1992;
* The projected truck-involved fatality rate for 2006 is at its lowest since record-keeping began in 1975;
* The number of truck-involved-crash injuries decreased by almost 2,000 in 2005 and dropped another 8,000 in 2006;
* The injury crash rate, another accepted metric, is also at its lowest point since DOT record-keeping began.

The Interim Final Rule is an interim measure in effect while the agency collects additional data on the safety impact of the two challenged provisions. ATA will work with its members during the next stage of the HOS rulemaking process to document motor carriers' safety experiences under the 11- and 34-hour provisions.

Graves also noted that ATA continues to pursue other goals on its safety agenda, including a requirement for speed limiters on new trucks, a 65-mph national speed limit for all vehicles and increased use of seatbelts.