This article has been reprinted from the Aug. 22 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) seeks comments on flexibility within the hours of service (HOS) rule by:
(1) allowing the 30-minute rest break to be satisfied by a driver using on duty, not driving status;
(2) splitting 10 hours off duty in a sleeper berth into two periods;
(3) allowing one off-duty break of at least 30 minutes, but not more than three hours, that would pause a truck driver’s 14-hour driving window;
(4) extending by two hours the time driving is permitted to account for adverse conditions; and
(5) lengthening the short-haul drivers’ maximum on-duty period from 12 to 14 hours and extending the distance limit from 100 to 150 air miles.
The proposed rule, with comments due by October 7, is available here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-08- 22/pdf/2019-17810.pdf.