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After hearing from 700 witnesses at eight public hearings, federal officials say they are skeptical about trucking’s assessment of the effect proposed changes in the hours-of-service regulation will have on the industry.

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The skepticism was apparent during the final hearing on the Department of Transportation’s proposal to limit most truck drivers to 12 hours of work a day.

Agency officials said at a recent two-day hearing in Washington, D.C., that improvements in operations would offset the loss of three hours of daily non-driving time eliminated under the reforms. Drivers currently can drive 10 hours during a 15-hour workday.

“We’ve heard a lot of testimony at the hearings about the inefficiencies this rule would cause. I ask questions about it and am told that’s the way life is. If this is a just-in-time system, why can’t shippers and receivers operate on J-I-T as well and eliminate waiting?” Julie A. Cirillo, acting chief safety officer of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, asked.

For the full story, see the July 17 print edition of Transport Topics. .