Truckers Support Current Hours of Service, but Request More Flexibility
By John Cooper, Attorney
Various trucking organizations, including the American Trucking Association (ATA) went before the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to address the issue the driver fatigue and the current Hours of Service (HOS) rules.
The rules stipulate that a trucker has the option to drive 11 hours and then take 10 hours off or drive 34 hours and take 24 hours off.
Most the individuals who addressed the FMCSA were pleased with the current HOS rules but would like more flexibility in scheduling, according to prnewswire.com.
“We are more in tune with our body’s time clock than most people. Our safe driving is a testimony to that,” said Ralph Garcia, a professional trucker for 30 years who has logged 2.5 million accident-free miles in his career.
The recommendations presented to the FMCSA to improve trucker fatigue include:
1. Sleep disorder awareness, training and screening
2. Promoting the use of Fatigue Risk Management Programs
3. Increasing the availability of truck parking on important freight corridors
4. Partnering with the trucking and shipping communities to develop an educational process that identifies for drivers the location of available truck parking.
The use Fatigue Risk Management programs are especially promising since they utilize electronic, onboard recorders to monitor the truck driver’s rest schedule, according to etrucker.com.
The overarching request for flexibility makes sense and should be considered since no trucker should feel compelled to drive longer than they feel it is safe to properly operate their vehicle. Far too many truckers push the limit or rely on substances such as amphetamines to meet a destination deadline. Providing greater flexibility in terms of when and where to rest could potentially lead to a decrease in the number of truck wrecks attributed to fatigue.
On the other hand, having specific exact cutoffs has a purpose. It make a bright line, clear rule for everyone. The problem is not the vast majority of professional drivers, but a smaller group of bad actors. I am not sure that giving everyone too much do-it-yourself power is a great idea.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling truck accident cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) although our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.
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January 25, 2010
Tags: accident, attorney, Cooper, crash, disorder, fatigue, injury, sleep, truck, trucker, wreck Posted in: Virginia (VA) Trucking Injury/Accidents Topics
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