Shippers say new rules on work hours for truck drivers will make it harder to get freight where it needs to go on time, will reduce efficiency across their supply chains, will raise costs and in some cases will even make our roadways LESS safe. Retail leaders and transportation industry moguls seem to be in agreement about this.
Several industry groups have sharply criticized the hours of service rules the Department of Transportation issued Dec. 22. Due to take effect in 2013, the new rules maintain the 11-hour daily limit on driving but would place far tighter restrictions on the so-called restart provision that resets the driving clock after set periods of rest. The new rule would cut weekly work time from 82 hours to 70 and require rest periods include the hours between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The restart provision over-complicates logistics and may trigger a broad and costly overhaul of supply chains.
Rather than encouraging greater efficiency, the new hours of service regulations will increase transportation costs, congestion and pollution by funneling more trucks onto the road at peak driving times, said Kelly Kolb, vice president for government relations at the Retail Industry Leaders Association. The new hours of service rule will upend the advances in efficiency made over the past decade, he says.
The American Trucking Associations says it is considering legal action to block the new rules. More as this story develops.