Final Rule on Commercial Truck Drivers Hours of Service Issued by DOT | Practical Law

Final Rule on Commercial Truck Drivers Hours of Service Issued by DOT | Practical Law

The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a final rule setting new hours of service for commercial truck drivers.

Final Rule on Commercial Truck Drivers Hours of Service Issued by DOT

Practical Law Legal Update 4-517-0702 (Approx. 3 pages)

Final Rule on Commercial Truck Drivers Hours of Service Issued by DOT

by PLC Labor & Employment
Published on 29 Dec 2011 • USA (National/Federal)
The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a final rule setting new hours of service for commercial truck drivers.
The Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a final rule on hours of service for commercial truck drivers on December 27, 2011. In an effort to reduce the possibility of driver fatigue, the final rule:
  • Limits the use of the 34-hour restart provision, which allows truck drivers to restart duty time calculations after 34 consecutive hours off, to once every 168 hours or seven days. This reduces the weekly maximum driving hours to 70.
  • Requires drivers working long enough to take a restart to take off two periods that include 1:00 a.m. to 5 a.m.
  • Allows no more than eight consecutive hours on duty without at least one 30-minute break.
The current 11-hour daily driving limit remains unchanged. The final rule is effective February 27, 2012.