Old safety rules allowed trucking companies to work their drivers 82 hours in a 7 day work week. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, after study introduced a new hours of service rule providing the maximum number of hours a trucker can work is 70 hours within seven days. The rule also mandates a 30 min. rest period within every eight hours, among other safety changes.
Trucking companies have gone to court to keep the rule allowing 82 hours working within a 7 day work week. The problem is danger to other users of our roads. Driver fatigue is a major cause of truck accidents and bus crashes.
The American Trucking Association claims reducing work hours is not necessary and will cost trucking companies money. Isn’t safety more important than profits?
