A Q&A with Santa, and Fleet Manager Mrs Claus, of North Pole Inc
A massive change is never easy.
The impact of the newly implemented Hours of Service (HOS) regulations signaled the largest transformation that many trucking industry have ever experienced. And that change is affecting many businesses’ bottom line.
Since the HOS rules came into effect on July 1, many of the aspects brought forth by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are still hurting companies, drivers and their customers.
Originally, the FMCSA estimated the HOS rule changes would produce an added benefit of $133 million annually for the trucking industry. However, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) assessed that the problematic red tape would end up costing the entire industry approximately $189 million per year from lost productivity by itself.
The original goal of the HOS rules was to create safer roads by giving truck drivers more mandated time to rest. With well-rested drivers, there would be fewer accidents and an overall increase in general health for truckers.
But now, according to trucking advocates, the main issue is the FMSCA’s needless and significant fiddling with the HOS rule regarding 34-hour restart provision.
The past six months have seen an outcome where the use of the restart has been limited to once a week, which can only be prompted if 168 hours have lapsed from the time of the last restart. The restart can be clocked only if two break periods from 1 am to 5 am are included. The FMCSA also added a condition that drivers must also take a 30-minute rest break in the course of the first eight hours on duty.
Lost Productivity
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released a research report that showcases thorough evidence regarding how the HOS rules have impacted trucking industry.
The “Operational and Economic Impacts of the New Hours-of-Service” report was constructed after collecting survey data from over 2,300 commercial drivers, 400 motor carriers and the logbook data of over 40,000 commercial drivers. The ATRI stated that its findings apply to three major areas: Carrier productivity, driver pay and highway safety.
The main operational and economic impacts that were identified included:
- Over 80 percent of the motor carriers surveyed experienced a loss in productivity since the new HOS rules went into effect. And nearly half said that they need additional drivers to haul the identical amount of cargo.
- More than 82 percent of commercial drivers that responded to the survey indicated that the new HOS rules have had a negative impact on their quality of life, and two-thirds said they had increased fatigue levels.
- Two out of every three drivers reported a decrease in pay since the HOS rules took effect.
To find out how Teletrac is helping trucking companies remain compliant with the new rules, see Fleet Director live!