Letter to the Hon. Raymond Martinez, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - More Hours of Service Flexibility, Again Raises Concerns of Ag and Livestock Haulers

Letter

Dear Administrator Martinez:

We write to express our support for greater flexibility within hours of service (HOS) regulations for commercial motor vehicle drivers, which maintain or increase the safety on our nation's roadways. Specifically, we urge the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to explore improvements to the HOS regulations that ensure drivers across differing businesses and operations can safely and efficiently comply with such requirements.

In recent months, it has become more apparent that HOS rules do not provide the appropriate level of flexibility for the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles. The trucking industry provides for over three million jobs in the U.S. and is the backbone of our economy, ensuring our nation's goods get to market. It is important that HOS regulations provide for a commonsense framework for drivers, rather than a one-size-fits-all model.

It is our hope that, under your leadership, FMCSA will be able to improve regulations and address issues within HOS regulations for all drivers, including long-haul drivers, short-haul drivers, agricultural and livestock haulers. We suggest FMCSA examine a wide range of options to address HOS issues and ensure safety, including, but not limited to, providing certain allowances for unique businesses or driver operations, elimination of unnecessary requirements, or improved utilization of non-driving time.

We appreciate your consideration on this important issue and look forward to working with you on how best to uphold safety and provide needed flexibility for drivers.