More Rest Time Required for Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers
Posted on January 25, 2012 by Lisa Whittaker on http://www.employerlawreport.com
The United States Department of Transportation ("Department") has issued an Hours-of-Service ("HOS") Final Rule that is meant to reduce the excessively long work hours of Commercial Motor Vehicle ("CMV") drivers. The Department wants to ensure drivers have enough time to obtain adequate rest on a daily and weekly basis, because excessive driving hours increase the risk of fatigue-related crashes and long-term health problems for drivers.
The objective of the final rule is to reduce the acute and chronic fatigue of drivers. The effective date of the final rule is February 27, 2012, and the compliance date of selected provisions is July 1, 2013.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ("FMCSA") made several changes to the HOS rule. The three primary changes include:
- Restarts are now limited to one per week;
- Restarts must include 2-night periods between 1:00-5:00 a.m.; and
- Drivers must take a 30-or-more minute break after 8 consecutive hours of driving.
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