The current hour-of-service (HOS) rules represent a “balanced set of rules” that promote driver alertness through natural work and rest cycles while providing the industry with operational flexibility, according to American Trucking Association (ATA) testimony before a Senate subcommittee December 19.
Dave Osiecki, ATA vice-president of safety, security and operations, testified before the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Merchant Marine Safety, and Security and Infrastructure of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
ATA supports the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s recent Interim Final Rule on HOS. The interim rule retains key components of the 2004 truck driver work and rest rules, which ATA said have contributed to improved safety on the nation’s highways.
Osiecki said that in four years, the current rules have contributed to significant decreases in the number of fatal large truck crashes, the fatal large truck crash rate, the number of injuries from truck involved-crashes, and the injury crash rate.
Osiecki's comments can be seen in the American Trucking Associations, "Federal Truck Driver Hours of Service (HOS) Rules” PDF.