Thank you for your letter regarding hours of service rules for truck drivers. I share your concerns about trucking safety and the economic vitality of the trucking industry.
While I have concerns about relaxing rest requirements and the rules surrounding “restart” periods, in December 2014, Congress approved the Collins amendment which temporarily removed the two overnight rest requirement and allowed drivers to take more than one 34-hour “restart” period in a seven-day workweek. I supported the spending bill which included these changes but I am eager to see the results of the study which will examine the effects of these changes.
I wholeheartedly share your concerns about safety as well as ensuring that the trucking industry, and its many hardworking drivers, continues to thrive. That’s why I have urged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to expedite regulations that would require electronic logging devices (ELDs) in commercial trucks and buses. This requirement would not only help ensure that over-tired drivers stay off the roads, it would also significantly reduce the paperwork burden for truckers and bus drivers. I have also pushed FMCSA to complete its entry-level commercial driver training rule, and to incorporate GPS training into the final rule. I am pleased that this long-delayed rule is finally moving forward. Finally, I have urged FMCSA to crack down on “chameleon carriers,” which are companies that attempt to re-form under a different name after being hit with safety violations. It is imperative that these bad actors are stopped so that their unsafe behavior does not affect the reputations of the many safe and responsible trucking companies and drivers across New York.
Again, thank you for contacting me regarding this important issue. Please feel free to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance on this or any other matter.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
(Note, recently I sent Senator Schumer a note regarding the 34 restart period the following is the response from his office)
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