HOS changes announced by FMCSA

Earlier this morning, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the publication of its long-awaited final rule on changes to the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations.

TCA applauds the Agency for taking an active role in receiving input from all stakeholders to craft flexible regulations for the industry while still improving safety, and for also expediting this rule change to provide the maximum benefit.
TCA is very pleased to see that sleeper berth flexibility has been increased to allow for 7/3 splits and that the previously required 30-minute rest break will now only be required after eight consecutive hours of driving, with more options for how the break can be taken. TCA also notes that revisions to the short-haul exemption and the adverse weather conditions rule are present in the Final Rule.
“The new hours-of-service changes show that FMCSA is listening to industry and fulfilling its duty to establish data-driven regulations that truly work,” stated TCA President John Lyboldt. “We especially thank the Agency for moving forward with additional sleeper berth flexibility. While TCA and our members advocate for full flexibility in the sleeper berth for our drivers, FMCSA’s new regulations demonstrate that we are one step closer to achieving that goal.”
TCA is still in the process of reviewing the Final Rule in its entirety. We will provide further updates for our members as we continue to identify the full impacts of the regulatory changes.