34-hour restart rule rolled back!

VTurri

Seasoned Expediter
Posted December 17, 2014

President Obama signed the FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill into law late on December 16, 2014. Language in the legislation immediately prohibits the enforcement of the 34-hour restart restrictions as currently written in Section 395.3 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. As a result, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is forced to revert back to the pre-July 2013 provisions for use of the restart even though the agency is not ordered to change the actual regulation.
The new law will remain in effect until September 30, 2015, or until the FMCSA completes a study involving the use of real drivers in their natural environment, not in a lab. FMCSA is mandated to begin the study within 90 days of the law taking effect.
FMCSA has indicated it is preparing a Federal Register Notice to advise the public that it is suspending enforcement of the restart restrictions. FMCSA also stated it is working with state and federal motor carrier enforcement personnel to ensure a smooth transition back to the prior version of the 34-hour restart.
 
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VTurri

Seasoned Expediter
More:

A stroke of President Obama’s pen yesterday immediately suspended provisions of the 34-hour restart rule that had limited truck drivers to using the restart only once a week and had required them to take two consecutive 1:00 to 5:00 am rest periods in that time.
"This really matters since the restart requirements were suspended as soon as President Obama signed the bill," Shoaib Makani, founder/CEO of electronic driver log provider KeepTruckin, told FleetOwner.
He pointed out that "the actual bill states that 'the rule referred to in subsection (a) shall have no force or effect from the date of enactment of this Act through September 30, 2015, and the restart rule in effect on June 3 30, 2013, shall immediately be in effect.'"
Under the sponsorship of Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), legislation forcing the rollback of those restart provisions had been successfully attached to the gargantuan omnibus spending package that the Senate at last passed on Saturday night.
Dubbed the Collins Amendment, the restart measure also requires the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to carry out what has described as a “real world” study to assess the operational, safety, health and fatigue effects of those provisions of the Hours of Service regulations.
The affected rules will remain suspended until Sept. 30 2015 or until the agency has completed its study.
Whether or not the incoming Congress will extend the suspension or make permanent the rollbacks could hinge on what is revealed by the FMCSA study.
Indeed, at least one lawmaker who will be returning to Capitol Hill in January is already aiming to see the rollback reversed. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told Politico.com: “I certainly will make an effort legislatively to reverse the rollback.
“All of the folks who have an interest in transportation safety are dismayed and disheartened by this rollback of common-sense safety rules, everyone from the Teamsters and the truck drivers to the safety advocates," Blumenthal also told Politico.com.

Restart rollback already in effect | Regulations content from Fleet Owner
 

VTurri

Seasoned Expediter
That 30 minute break is a pain but not nearly as cost prohibitive and restricting as the restart rule.
 

skyraider

Veteran Expediter
US Navy
Copied--" The new law will remain in effect until September 30, 2015, or until the FMCSA completes a study involving the use of real drivers in their natural environment, not in a lab. FMCSA is mandated to begin the study within 90 days of the law taking effect." end.

*** all this time and the original law for the 34 restart was a wind-tunnel test with no teeth to it or real time testing in the field?? What a crock of %^&()(*&^ that was,,,, a lab law with no real world data, what a cheap trick--IMHO. Oh well, you get what you get with this administration.

Question: Why did they get away with that one, and what else are those cronies getting away with that is a lab test with no teeth??

I just bet it is the same nitwits that wrote Obamacare........................
 

iceroadtrucker

Veteran Expediter
Driver
I hope they reinstate the 5&5 rule. Now that would be somthing to talk about.
Copied--" The new law will remain in effect until September 30, 2015, or until the FMCSA completes a study involving the use of real drivers in their natural environment, not in a lab. FMCSA is mandated to begin the study within 90 days of the law taking effect." end.

*** all this time and the original law for the 34 restart was a wind-tunnel test with no teeth to it or real time testing in the field?? What a crock of %^&()(*&^ that was,,,, a lab law with no real world data, what a cheap trick--IMHO. Oh well, you get what you get with this administration.

Question: Why did they get away with that one, and what else are those cronies getting away with that is a lab test with no teeth??

I just bet it is the same nitwits that wrote Obamacare........................
 
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