Statement by ARTBA CEO Bauer on proposed changes to FMCSA hours of service rule

American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) President & CEO Dave Bauer released the following statement regarding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) proposed changes to the hours of service rule for truckers:

“ARTBA applauds FMCSA for proposing long-needed updates to the federal hours of service rule. The proposed revisions will help the transportation construction industry’s short-haul drivers comply with the rule, while better enabling contractors to build projects in a safe, efficient and timely manner.
“Specifically, we support expanding the ‘short-haul’ exemption from 100 to 150 air miles, which provides regulatory relief to the vast majority of industry drivers delivering materials or equipment to project sites. We also support the agency’s proposal to let non-driving activities satisfy the agency’s 30-minute rest requirement. This provision will help industry drivers who spend much of their work day loading and unloading materials or equipment, or helping with other project tasks, instead of staying behind the wheel for hours on end.
“Correcting this misapplication of federal requirements is the type of regulatory reform that all sides should support. ARTBA appreciates the Trump administration’s continued efforts to improve a federal regulatory structure that has often impeded the efficient delivery of transportation infrastructure projects.”
“ARTBA applauds FMCSA for proposing long-needed updates to the federal hours of service rule. The proposed revisions will help the transportation construction industry’s short-haul drivers comply with the rule, while better enabling contractors to build projects in a safe, efficient and timely manner.
“Specifically, we support expanding the ‘short-haul’ exemption from 100 to 150 air miles, which provides regulatory relief to the vast majority of industry drivers delivering materials or equipment to project sites. We also support the agency’s proposal to let non-driving activities satisfy the agency’s 30-minute rest requirement. This provision will help industry drivers who spend much of their work day loading and unloading materials or equipment, or helping with other project tasks, instead of staying behind the wheel for hours on end.
“Correcting this misapplication of federal requirements is the type of regulatory reform that all sides should support. ARTBA appreciates the Trump administration’s continued efforts to improve a federal regulatory structure that has often impeded the efficient delivery of transportation infrastructure projects.”