Hours-of-service rules top list of trucker concerns in annual survey

Philadelphia – Hours-of-service rules are the biggest concern facing the trucking industry, according to an annual survey conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute.

The survey results were released Oct. 18 during the 2015 Management Conference and Exhibition of the American Trucking Associations meeting.

This marks the third consecutive year HOS has topped the survey’s list of significant trucking issues in North America. Carriers and drivers alike expressed apprehension regarding what ATRI, the research arm of ATA, described as “the uncertain future of the current suspension of the rules.”

From July 2013 until December 2014, commercial motor vehicle drivers were required to take a 34-hour rest break at least once per week that included two stints between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The provision was intended to reduce trucker fatigue. However, Congress suspended the restart provision pending further research after critics argued that it created additional safety concerns by forcing trucks onto crowded roads during the morning rush hour.

In addition to HOS rules, the top concerns listed in ATRI’s survey included:

• FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program
• Driver shortage
• Driver retention
• Lack of safe, available truck parking

“As issues climb in ranking each year, so does our collective need to aggressively identify solutions to address those issues,” ATA Chairman Duane Long said in a press release.