New regulations require drivers to rest more

Truck drivers often work long hours and sometimes throughout the night to carry cargo all over the country. As a result, they are constantly balancing work and rest.

Officials from the American Trucking Association (ATA) are asking truck stops across the country to make information packets about the newly proposal hours of service rules readily available, Fleet Owner reports.

The new proposal from the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) would reduce the maximum daily driving time by one hour, from 11 hours to 10 per shift. Moreover, because drivers would need to take a 30-minute break every seven hours, the maximum daily working time to 13 hours - a measure that is intended to promote trucking safety.

However, some truckers are upset that these new regulations will reduce the industry's productivity. As a result, the ATA packet contains information on faxing a protest letter to FMCSA regarding the new rest rules.

Online truck driver training course could help professionals in this field learn the how the new rules affect them, and how to deal with them to stay productive.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 2 million trucks drivers were employed in 2008.

By Anna Byrne

New regulations require drivers to rest more

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011