In The News

FMCSA Administrator: Hours of Service rule to remain unchanged

WASHINGTON — In what is not a surprise to most in the trucking industry, the Hours of Service rule now in force will not change.

FMCSA Administrator John Hill in essence took the “interim” tag off the Interim Final Rule during a news teleconference Tuesday afternoon here.

FMCSA had issued an Interim Final Rule late last year that was the same as a rule that had been overturned by an appeals court.

The new Final Rule maintains both the 11th hour of driving and the 34-hour restart provisions, which have both been a source of controversary and reasons for lawsuits filed by public advocacy groups.

It will become effective Jan. 19, 2009, the day before the current administration leaves office.

Hill said he was confident the Final Rule announced Tuesday would stand up to a court challenge because the agency had appropriately addressed all concerns raised by the courts.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for a public safety group, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, called the Final Rule “the same flawed“ Hours of Service rule and said the group would likely file a petition for reconsideration.

A copy of the Final Rule has been posted on a government Web site. To read the Final Rule, click here.

The Trucker Staff can be contacted to comment on this article at [email protected].