51 U.S. Representatives Send Letter To Foxx Expression Concerns Over New HOS Rules

According to Politico, fifty-one United States House of Representatives sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation,  Anthony Foxx, to express their concerns over the new hours-of-service rules.

In the letter, the representatives question the FMCSA’s decision to implement the hours-of-service rules before a “statistically-valid field study” was complete.  Map-21 required the study to be complete by March 31, 2012.  To date, the study has not been completed, yet the rules that went into effect on July 1 and are expected to have a tremendous impact on the trucking industry and the consumer.

“These regulations, which strictly limit the use of the 34-hour restart provisions and mandate inflexible rest periods, greatly decrease driver flexibility and rise the costs for the already over-burdened trucking industry,” the letter states.

The representatives estimate that the new HOS rules will cost the industry up to $376 million annually. “Unfortunately, these additional costs will be passed onto our nation’s consumer.”

The representatives have asked the FMCSA to provide a date when the field study will be completed and sent to congress. “It is imperative that the rules governing the commercial trucking industry be backed by statistically-valued and data-driven studies that are fully completed and analyzed.”

“The commercial trucking industry is a pillar of the US economy and small, medium and large businesses across America depend on the on-time, cost-efficient and safe transport of finished products and raw materials each day.  It is imperative that the rules governing the trucking industry be backed by factual, statistically-valid and data-driven studies that are fully completed and analyzed before proposed rules come into effect,” the letter concludes.

The letter was written on August 29.  The representatives have requested a response from Foxx by September 12.

The following US Representatives signed the letter:

• Richard Hanna
• Tom Rice
• Trey Radel
• Todd Rokita
• James Lankford
• Howard Coble
• Rick Crawford
• Larry Bucshon
• Reid Ribble
• Markwayne Mullin
• Bob Latta
• Marsha Blackburn
• Tim Walberg
• Lee Terry
• Phil Rol
• Bill Huizenga
• John J. Davis Jr.
• Duncan Hunter
• Sam Graves
• Steve Stivers
• Blaine Luetkemeyer
• Scott Perry
• Adam Kinzinger
• Tom Cotton
• Billy Long
• Kristi Noem
• Dennis Ross
• Ted Poe
• Glenn Thompson
• Keith Rothfus
• Roger Williams
• Aaron Schock
• Tim Huelskamp
• Jim Sensenbrenner
• Steve Womack
• Ted Yoho
• Paul Gosar
• Chris Collins
• Lou Barletta
• Sean Duffy
• Andy Barr
• Rodney Davis
• Mike Michaud
• Mike Pompeo
• Chris Gibson
• Steve Daines
• Dan Benishek