Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Citing calls from Congress and the public following the December 2017 electronic logging device mandate for most heavy-duty truck operators, FMCSA will seek public input on prospective changes in hours-of-service regulations, including:
- Expanding the current 100 air-mile “short-haul” exemption from 12 hours 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; and,
- Revising the current mandatory 30-minute break for drivers after eight hours of continuous driving.
The agency indicated the changes in an August 24 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, just ahead of publishing its formal proposal in the Federal Register and opening a 30-day public comment period.