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The new hours of service rules are expected to take effect next month, and truckers have divided opinions on this issue. While some truck drivers are not too happy about the final rule, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association or OOIDA, an international trade association representing the truckers' interests, has always been supportive of it. The organization believes that the new rule will provide drivers more flexibility and control over their schedules.

The new HOS regulations, which were announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on June 1, 2020, feature changes around these four key areas: 30-minute break, off-duty splits, adverse conditions, and short-haul exemption. In an Overdrive infographic, the old and new rules were detailed as follows:

The 30-Minute Break

Old Rule: Within the first eight on-duty hours, the driver must take a 30-minute break in an off-duty status. 

New Rule: Within the first eight hours of drive time, the driver can take a 30-minute break in an on-duty, non-driving status. 

The Off-Duty Splits

Old Rule: A driver’s 10-hour off-duty period can be split into two: an eight-hour split and a two-hour split. The shorter split must be counted against the 14-hour clock.

New Rule: A driver can now use a 7-hour/3-hour split in addition to the 8-hour/2hour split. No split will be counted against the 14-hour clock. 

The Adverse Conditions

Old Rule: A driver can add two hours to his 11-hour drive time but not to his 14-hour on-duty clock.

New Rule: A driver can have a total of 13 hours of drive time and 16 hours on duty—an additional two hours for each. 

The Short-Haul Exemption

Old Rule: A driver who operates within 100 air-miles of his base has a 12-hour on-duty limit and is not required to keep records of duty status. 

New Rule: A driver who operates within 150 air-miles of his base has a 14-hour on-duty limit and is not required to keep records of duty status. 

Many groups opposed the changes mentioned above, including the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, Parents Against Tired Truckers, the Teamsters, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, and the Truck Safety Coalition. They were concerned that the weakening of the HOS regulations might endanger the lives of truckers and other people on the road instead of promoting safety. So, they filed a petition for reconsideration last June 30, 2020. 

Despite the opposition, the FMCSA is firm in its decision and intends to put the changes into effect as planned. That is why fleet owners and managers are advised to take the necessary steps to ensure their fleets are FMCSA compliant once the new rules are in place. If you are among them, here's how you can keep your fleet ready for the new HOS regulations: 

Information Dissemination

The new HOS rules were officially announced by FMCSA last June, so by now, you have probably briefed your drivers regarding these changes. If you haven't, then a rigorous well-coordinated dissemination information effort must be made as soon as possible. This is to ensure drivers know what to expect with the new regulations. 

Whether in writing or in the form of a meeting, the HOS guidelines' changes must be clearly communicated to the drivers. They must understand the adjustment to the sleeper-berth exception, which will allow them to split the mandatory 10 hours of rest in two ways: a 7-3 split or an 8-2 split. Neither of these splits will count against their 14-hour driving window, so this adjustment will allow drivers to manage fatigue better. 

Other changes that drivers must be aware of include: drivers will soon be required to take a 30-minute break after eight hours of operating a truck and their on-duty periods will be extended to a maximum of 14 hours and the distance limit to 150 air miles. Also, the adverse driving conditions exception will be extended by two hours. 

Review of Fleet’s ELD Compliance

Whether your fleet is made up of commercial vehicles or heavy duty trucks, it must be ELD compliant to ensure easier and more accurate record-keeping. ELDs or electronic logging devices have long been used in commercial trucks to record driver's hours of service (HOS). So with the new HOS rules coming up, there's no better time to review their efficiency and accuracy than now. 

To be ELD-compliant, the FMCSA has set out three requirements. One, ELDs must be certified by the manufacturer; two, they must conform to set technical specifications; and three, they must be registered with the FMCSA. If your ELD has already met these requirements, then move on to the next: check its features. 

A reliable ELD offers a wide range of functions and features, and these include the following:

• Automatically records driving time and details
• Logs auditing
• Synchronizes internally with the ECM (engine control module)
• GPS tracking
• Records location
• Messaging
• With telematic or local electronic data transfer
• IFTA fuel tax reporting
• Tamper prevention
• Idle time tracking
• Displays report for safety officials on-demand
• Vehicle diagnostics
• Driver scorecards or certification of driver records 
• User manual
• Audio controls

For real-time updates on your fleet, you may also include other hardware and software to your existing ELD system. There's a software that allows you to transmit information and provides two-way communication between your fleet's base of operations and your driver. This will be especially useful once the new HOS rules take effect. 

As you prepare your fleet for the challenges ahead, it's good to take ownership of fleet compliance as early as now. Whether the new hours of service regulations will work to your fleet's advantage or not, it pays to be prepared for these upcoming changes to avoid inconveniences, unnecessary violations, and roadside downtime. The FMCSA sees these reforms as a major step toward improving safety on America's roadways and allowing drivers to rest. Still, it's for you and your truckers to find out the real deal once these are implemented. 

For more information on the new Hours of Service rule, please click here.