With the hours overhaul near, FMCSA is now considering a pilot program to test other HOS reforms.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking public comment on a pilot program to allow additional hours of service regulatory relief by allowing participating drivers to pause their on-duty driving period with one on-duty period and one off-duty period up to three hours.
The notice comes just a month out from a new HOS rule taking effect, Sept. 29, that allows drivers to pause and split their off-duty time into segments of a minimum of two hours and seven hours — and thus the ability to split their 14-hour duty clock up, too.
This new public comment period by FMCSA looks for feedback on off-duty breaks of as few as thirty minutes — and not more than three hours — to be allowed to pause the 14-hour on-duty window as long as the driver takes 10 hours off-duty at the end of the work shift (thus outside split-sleeper-berth cycles). Participation in the proposed pilot program, which is proposed to operate for three years or less, would be limited to a certain number of CDL drivers who meet the criteria specified for participation. The goal is to gather statistically reliable evidence to analyze the safety and feasibility of such a modification to the hours of service.
Original article provided by: https://www.ccjdigital.com/ccj-daily-dispatch-aug-31-dot-now-eyeing-shorter-pause-options-for-drivers-14-hour-duty-clock/
