Hours of Service changes
A change in federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations was announced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Many MTAC members have been waiting for these changes, as they impact business and scheduling. In the next few weeks, we will be covering these changes, in segments, as to better understand how they could impact…
A change in federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations was announced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Many MTAC members have been waiting for these changes, as they impact business and scheduling. In the next few weeks, we will be covering these changes, in segments, as to better understand how they could impact operations. The changes are widely seen as beneficial to the trucking industry. Keep in mind that these changes are for both CDL and NON- CDL vehicles. We all should be aware that some guidance/educational items from FMCSA may be forthcoming to explain the changes.
Importantly, there is no change regarding the maximum number of hours that drivers may operate a CMV. Under regular conditions, a driver still may not operate a CMV after 11 hours of driving, AND they may not operate a CMV after the 14th hour of being “on duty.” They may not operate a CMV more than 60 hours in 7 days, or 70 hours in 8 days of being on duty. “On duty” has a broad definition in the regulations. A very simplistic explanation is that if the driver is working, no matter what they are doing, they are “on duty.”
FMCSA has announced four (4) major changes that will take effect on September 29, 2020. In today’s newsletter we will examine changes to the 30-minute rest break (within 8 hours of coming on duty) requirement.
See the “Compliance Question of the Week” at the end of the newsletter for an overview of changes to the 30-minute rest break requirement.