FMCSA seeks public comment on hours-of-service regulations

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is seeking public comment on revising four specific areas of its current hours-of-service (HOS) regulations.

The upcoming advance notice of proposed rulemaking responds to congressional, industry and citizen concerns and seeks feedback from the public to determine if HOS revisions may alleviate unnecessary burdens placed on drivers while maintaining safety on the nation’s highways and roads, FMCSA says. The comment period is open through Sept. 24.

The four specific areas under consideration for revision are:

• Expanding the current 100 air-mile “short-haul” exemption from 12 hours on-duty to 14 hours on-duty, in order to be consistent with the rules for long-haul truck drivers;
• Extending the current 14-hour on-duty limitation by up to two hours when a truck driver encounters adverse driving conditions;
• Revising the current mandatory 30-minute break for truck drivers after eight hours of continuous driving; and
• Reinstating the option for splitting of the required 10-hour off-duty rest break for drivers operating trucks that are equipped with a sleeper-berth compartment.

The FMCSA also seeks public comment and relevant data on two recently submitted petitions requesting regulatory relief from HOS rules. One pertains to the 14-hour on-duty limitation, the second to the 10-hour off-duty requirement.

The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) is seeking feedback from propane marketers on the proposed rulemaking. Marketers can contact Sarah Reboli, director of regulatory affairs, or Mike Caldarera, NPGA’s vice president of regulatory and technical services. NPGA says it will coordinate industry response to the proposed rulemaking through the Regulatory and Compliance Task Force of the Governmental Affairs Committee.

*Featured image: iStock.com/tttuna