|
 |
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Contact: Andy Beck, 202-366-8810
FMCSA 2-03
Trucker Calls Focused on Compliance
New Hours-of-Service Feedback Largely Positive, Focused on Details
An initial review released today shows that truckers contacting the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are committed to following new
hours-of-service rules, but still have questions about changes made to the
60-year old regulations. The review is based on thousands of calls from
commercial drivers made to the FMCSA’s 24-hour, toll-free help line established
to answer questions about the new hours-of-service rule implemented Jan. 4.
Help line personnel have answered almost 5,500 calls from truckers wanting to
understand the new rule. Initial call tracking reports indicate the majority of
questions asked concern the sleeper-berth exemption, the 34-hour restart
provision, the definition of a 14-hour workday, and procedures for recording
hours in driver logbooks.
“Despite some dramatic predictions about the impact of the new rules, drivers
are telling us they are working to comply,” said FMCSA Administrator Annette M.
Sandberg. “We’re hearing thoughtful questions and witnessing a sincere desire to
follow the new regulations.”
The largest number of calls, 18 percent, concern the 34-hour restart period.
Another 16 percent of callers want to know more about the sleeper berth
provision. Nine percent have asked about the 60/70-hour workweek change.
Likewise, five percent were calling about record keeping. The remaining calls
vary widely, including questions specific to unique driving scenarios, questions
on the difference between drive time and duty time, and inquiries into the use
of electronic on-board recorders. FMCSA personnel answering the phones say that
most calls are drivers trying to comply with the new rule. Anecdotal reports
show that drivers are finding the new rules are not causing the types of
problems predicted by some.
The toll-free telephone line, 1-800-598-5664, is staffed around the clock to
answer drivers’ questions. The line became active on Dec. 29, 2003.
It is estimated that the new hours-of-service rule will save 75 lives, prevent
1,326 fatigue-related injuries, and prevent 6,900 property damage-only crashes
annually, saving the American economy $628 million a year. The rule represents
the first major rewrite of the hours-of-service regulations in more than 60
years.
The cause of driver fatigue is the length of a driver’s workday, not just the
amount of time he or she spends on the road, according to Sandberg. “That’s why
DOT’s new hours-of-service rule reduces a driver’s workday by an hour and
requires it to be consecutive, while allowing more of that time to be spent on
the road, where most drivers earn their living,” she said.
###