Proposed trucking hours reduction discussed

The debate over how many hours truckers should be allowed to work on a daily basis continues to be a hot topic among industry specialists. Officials from various trucking advocacy groups and safety organizations have been asking the federal government to pass laws as quickly as possible about the proposed reduction of the time that can be legally spent on the road.

Groups such as The Teamsters and the Insurance Institute for Highway safety say that drivers being tired and overworked is one of the most prominent reasons accidents occur. Some say hours need to be reduced and more frequent breaks need to be taken by truckers.

However, some other trucking organizations disagree that there is proof of heightened issues with the current time limits and see no reason why things should change.

"The framework for the current hours of service regulations has now been in place for eight years without any evidence to suggest that the rules have created a safety problem," Dave Osiecki, senior vice president of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), said in a statement.

Truckers who have completed their compliance training for truck drivers and are looking to start their career may want to stay on top of current regulation news, as laws and rules may change suddenly, affecting the job at hand.

Proposed trucking hours reduction discussed

Friday, October 28th, 2011