LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Included in a buffet of information ranging from the economy (more than 5.3 million jobs have been added since 2016) and roads (1 in 5 roads are in poor condition), Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao Friday sandwiched in a notice that the U.S. DOT has sent its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Hours of Service flexibility to the Office of Management and Budget.
Chao made the announcement during the Mid-America Trucking Show here Friday.
Although not giving any specifics, Chao noted that DOT “understands the strong interest in increasing flexibility and is giving it serious consideration.” She said DOT had received more than 5,200 comments on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) of 2018.
The ANPRM had requested comments on the 30-minute rest break; split sleeper berth times; exceptions for adverse driving conditions; the short-haul HOS; and petitions by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and Trucker Nation on rest breaks and the 14-hour rule.
An OOIDA response said the organization “is optimistic the NPRM will provide drivers with much needed flexibility in their daily schedules.”
On the long-standing parking problem, which she acknowledged was a safety issue, Chao said the National Coalition on Truck Parking had identified “best practices and innovative solutions” to the problem based on input from professional truck drivers, truck stop owners, law enforcement and DOTs.
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