Trucker associations propose project on splitting rest requirement

Arlington, VA – Two trucker associations have jointly proposed a pilot program to evaluate the fatigue and safety impacts of allowing truckers to split a single 10-hour off-duty sleep period into multiple segments.

The program was proposed to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration by the American Trucking Associations and the Minnesota Trucking Association. The groups argue that allowing truckers to take multiple “well-timed” naps throughout the day to fulfill their 10-hour off-duty requirement would reduce fatigue and make them safer drivers.

In the proposed program, FMCSA would split 200 trucker participants into two groups: One group taking only one 10-hour off-duty rest period to sleep and the other group splitting up their sleep throughout the day. The participants’ fatigue levels and safety performance would then be monitored and compared.

The associations state that the program also could be used to gauge whether carriers can effectively monitor their drivers’ fatigue levels by tracking certain behaviors, such as inconsistent levels of speed or swerving.

At press time, FMCSA has not responded to the proposal.