ATA officials said they would contend HOS proposals in court if they are passed

Officials from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) recently announced that proposed changed in the regulations regarding drivers hours of service (HOS) may be more harmful to the industry and could have a significant negative effect on trucking safety, DC Velocity reports.

Dan England, first vice president of the ATA, told the media outlet that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is buckling under political pressure and has ignored the government's own statistics regarding HOS. As a result, the ATA will challenge the proposals in court if they are adopted.

Under the proposal, drivers would be limited to 10 hours on the road per day, which is down from 11. Furthermore, the rules regarding mandated time off for drivers. Many industry insiders believe the hours of service proposals will push heavy vehicles onto the road during rush hour and disrupt supply chains designed around current rules.

Safety directors may wish to enroll their drivers in compliance training for truck drivers to help them understand the new regulations that face the industry.

The FMCSA reports that, nearly than 540,000 vehicle truck inspections occurred between October and December 2010. Moreover, state authorities conducted nearly 1,300 compliance reviews during the same time period.

By Mark Priest

ATA officials said they would contend HOS proposals in court if they are passed

Thursday, April 21st, 2011