{"id":1748,"date":"2018-05-19T21:45:01","date_gmt":"2018-05-19T21:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quicktransportsolutions.com\/blog\/?p=1748"},"modified":"2018-05-19T21:45:01","modified_gmt":"2018-05-19T21:45:01","slug":"trucking-outlook-update-from-pennsylvania-avenue-to-main-street","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quicktransportsolutions.com\/blog\/trucking-outlook-update-from-pennsylvania-avenue-to-main-street\/","title":{"rendered":"Trucking Outlook Update From Pennsylvania Avenue To Main Street"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the first quarter of 2018 drawing to a close, there has been a lot of movement in the trucking industry, and there continues to be so. That\u2019s why we wanted to take a moment to look at what is on the horizon for trucking, both from political moves to industry hiring practices and more. Hop in the cab, buckle up, and get ready because it\u2019s going to be a wild ride of trucking news in today\u2019s QuickTSI blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The REST Act<\/strong><\/p>\n

First up is a big update coming out of Washington. A newly proposed bill has been put forth by Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) to allow tuckers a daily break of up to 3 consecutive hours. These breaks would not eat into the 14-hour on-duty allotment that the Hours of Service rule provides.<\/p>\n

Rep. Babin has been no stranger to rules introduced aimed to change the way trucking gets done. Early last year he attached a rider to a house bill in an attempt<\/a> to end the coming ELD mandate. That rider would go on to be removed in committee.<\/p>\n

The new proposal was introduced within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is titled the Responsible and Effective Standards for Truckers (REST) Act, or H.R. 5417<\/a>. Rep. Babin released a statement after proposing the bill stating that the legislation would modernize hours of service regulations for truckers.<\/p>\n

The details of the bill are clear. It specifically calls for a single off-duty rest period that would not be accounted towards the truck driver\u2019s 14-hour on-duty allowance. It would essentially be off the books, also not extending the total, allowable drive time. Truck drivers would still need to log 10 consecutive hours off duty before the start of their next shift, however. Finally, if enacted, the bill would eliminate the 30-minute rest break requirement.<\/p>\n

In a separate statement, Rep. Babin said that he was \u201cproud to introduce the REST Act and give America\u2019s truckers the options they need to safely operate under today\u2019s rigid federal regulations.\u201d He posited that the bill would be an important step in improving highway safety.<\/p>\n

If passed, the REST Act would mandate the DOT to update Hours of Service to allow a rest break once per 14-hour duty period for up to 3 consecutive hours provided the driver is not on-duty. The Owner Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA), long a supporter of Rep. Babin\u2019s attempts to change trucking regulations, quickly released a statement supporting the proposal. In their statement, the OOIDA referred to a lack of options for truck drivers to safely operate, calling today\u2019s Hours of Service regulations \u201coverly rigid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now the question is, will the proposal see the light of day and come out of committee unscathed? With Rep. Babin\u2019s previous attempts going nowhere, some say that there is little chance for this attempt to pass. Yet, many also agree that the Hours of Service rules need changing, having largely remained unchanged nearly a century. At this point, only time will tell where this latest attempt will go.<\/p>\n

The FMCSA Seeks Public Comment<\/strong><\/p>\n

In other news from the Capitol, the FMCSA is asking for public comment on self-driving vehicle regulations. The government agency has come out saying that they may need to update, modify or eliminate regulations related to the safe introduction of autonomous vehicles.<\/p>\n

Specifically, the agency has asked the National Transportation Systems Center \u2013 itself an offshoot of the DOT \u2013 to complete a preliminary review of federal regulations surrounding what they refer to as automated driving systems (ADS). They also want to know if current safety regulation will pose a roadblock to the testing and integration of ADS into the nation\u2019s fleets.<\/p>\n

At the same time, they are seeking comment on what the future impact of ADS and ADS-related regulations will be. They are specifically looking for comment from companies that are currently involved in the design, development, and testing of ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles.<\/p>\n

Their public notice<\/a> asks for the following:<\/p>\n