With less than five weeks until the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new hours-of-service regulations go into effect, trucking industry and enforcement officials said they are concerned about not having enough time to adapt to the changes, even with an announced three-month transitional period of soft enforcement.The new rules, which were announced Aug. 19, made no changes to the main limits on work and driving time for truckers, nor did they change the rest period mandated by the existing rule. However, FMCSA did alter the provisions governing sleeper-berth use and how it would apply the rule to shorthaul drivers.“Because of the complexities of the rule and the realities of the marketplace, the agency recognizes that neither enforcement agencies nor the motor carrier industry will be able to implement every provision of the new regulations immediately upon the rule’s effective date of Oct. 1,” FMCSA Administrator Annette Sandberg told reporters Aug. 19. “We will provide the industry with a transitional period to make required adjustments to the new [HOS] rule."For the full story, see the Aug. 29 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
The new rules, which were announced Aug. 19, made no changes to the main limits on work and driving time for truckers, nor did they change the rest period mandated by the existing rule. However, FMCSA did alter the provisions governing sleeper-berth use and how it would apply the rule to shorthaul drivers.“Because of the complexities of the rule and the realities of the marketplace, the agency recognizes that neither enforcement agencies nor the motor carrier industry will be able to implement every provision of the new regulations immediately upon the rule’s effective date of Oct. 1,” FMCSA Administrator Annette Sandberg told reporters Aug. 19. “We will provide the industry with a transitional period to make required adjustments to the new [HOS] rule."For the full story, see the Aug. 29 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.