Yesterday, the Senate and House appropriations committees introduced a funding bill that would suspend certain provisions of the 34-hour restart rule.
If passed in the House and the Senate, the bill would cut funding for enforcement of the 34-hour restart rule while the FMCSA studies the implications of the restart, and the restart rule would default to the pre-July 2013 restart provision.
Under the current 34-hour restart rule, drivers must take two night breaks from 1:00 am to 5:00 am.
“Truckers point to the current rule’s 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. overnight periods, mandated for anyone who voluntarily uses the 34-hour restart provision, as unnecessary and dangerous. Many truck drivers choose to work overnight shifts because there are fewer vehicles on the road,” an OOIDA press release states.
Advocates of the suspension praised the committees for their actions. According to a press release from OOIDA, the Fraternal Order of Police, Former FMCSA Administrator Annette Sandburg and others supported the bill.
“OOIDA and small-business truckers applaud the House and Senate for rejecting scare tactics and misinformation and maintaining the bipartisan hours-of-service provision,” said OOIDA executive vice president Todd Spencer. “We urge members in both chambers to support this legislation in a final vote in the coming days.”
Sources:
OOIDA
Bloomberg