Hours of service Bus/limo/taxi Trucking

FMCSA wraps up data collection on hours-of-service restart rule

October 2, 2015
Commercial motor vehicle drivers Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Hours of service
Trucks at sunset

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has finished collecting data for its six-month study into the safety effects of a 34-hour restart rule regarding commercial motor vehicle drivers’ hours of service, the agency announced Oct. 1.

FMCSA officials are working to have a final report ready by the end of the year.

Congress required the study in December 2014 after suspending the 34-hour restart rule. The rule required CMV drivers to take a rest break at least once a week of 34 consecutive hours, including two periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., to “restart” their weekly schedules.

Advocates of the restart rule claim it would help prevent driver fatigue and make the roads safer. However, critics argued that the rule forced too many trucks onto crowded roads during the morning rush hour.

More than 220 drivers participated in the study, FMCSA said. The agency collected data on more than 3,000 driver duty cycles, more than 75,000 driver alertness tests and more than 22,000 days of driver sleep data.