Will highway safety improve if truck drivers are given more control over the hours-of-service regulations? Would truckers benefit from being able to split their driving periods into smaller chunks?
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has long argued that the answer to these questions is yes. Truckers believe the current rules are too rigid and that strict limits encourage driving during the allotted time, even if it is unsafe to do so.
Soon, the argument will be put to the test.
On Wednesday, Sept. 17, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published a pair of notices for pilot programs that will provide truck drivers more hours-of-service flexibility. The agency plans to start the programs early next year.
Current hours-of-service regulations require commercial truck drivers to complete their driving within 14 hours after coming on duty. Both pilot programs will give participants more control over their driving time.
Split-duty period
Under this pilot program, truck drivers will have the opportunity to pause their clock for up to 3 hours.
“During the proposed pilot program, known as the ‘Split Duty Period Pilot Program,’ participating commercial motor vehicle drivers would have the option to extend their 14-hour driving window by taking one off-duty, sleeper berth, or on-duty/not driving period (taken at the location of a pick-up or delivery of cargo), including what is sometimes called ‘detention time,’ of no less than 30 minutes and no more than 3 hours,” the agency wrote in the notice.
Pausing the clock will allow drivers to get rest when they need it and to avoid driving in unsafe conditions, OOIDA said. The key is making sure that truck drivers are the ones who are in control of the provision. OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh told Congress earlier this year that passing the Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act will help prevent shippers and receivers from trying to take advantage of a driver’s split-duty period.
Participation in the pilot program will be limited to 256 truck drivers.
“FMCSA believes that the exemption covered by the proposed pilot program provides the flexibility to take extra rest, avoid driving during traffic congestion and mitigate the impacts of unreasonable detention times, thereby improving the working conditions of America’s truck drivers,” the agency wrote.
Sleeper berth
The sleeper berth pilot program will allow participating drivers to split their 10-hour off-duty period into more flexible combinations, including 6/4 and 5/5 splits.
Current regulations require drivers to have one rest period of at least seven consecutive hours for those who elect to split their time in the sleeper berth.
“Participating drivers … instead would be required to take one rest period of at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper berth,” FMCSA wrote in the notice. “This change would result in drivers having the option to select alternative split formats for sleeper berth time, including 5/5 and 6/4 splits.”
Like the split-duty program, it will be limited to 256 drivers.
How to comment
The public has through Nov. 17 to comment on each of the notices. To comment on the split-duty program, click here or go to Regulations.gov and enter FMCSA-2025-0194-0001. To comment on the split-sleeper program, click here or enter FMCSA-2025-0193-0001.
Once the comment period is over, truck drivers will be allowed to sign up to participate.
Both pilot programs will be conducted over four-month periods. At the conclusion of each pilot program, FMCSA will report the findings to Congress. LL
Credit: Source link
