WASHINGTON — Federal regulators will soon be collecting new data that will be used to consider easing truck driver hours of service regulations.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is reviving two pilot programs – Split Duty Period and Flexible Sleeper Berth – to help determine if giving truckers more control over their schedule can help reduce fatigue.
“Truck drivers are the backbone of our economy, and we owe it to them to explore smarter, data-driven policies that make their jobs safer and more enjoyable,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who announced on Monday the opening of comment periods for the two programs.
“These pilot programs will help identify real solutions for America’s drivers without compromising safety.”
The Split Duty Period pilot will allow participating drivers to pause their 14-hour on-duty period – known as their “driving window” – for no less than 30 minutes and no more than three hours.
The Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot will look at sleeper berth split options beyond the current 8/2 and 7/3 configurations by allowing drivers to divide their 10-hour off-duty requirement into 6/4- and 5/5- split periods.
“Protocol development for both pilot programs will begin in early 2026, with more than 500 commercial truck drivers expected to participate in the efforts,” according to DOT.
Plans to roll out the pilot programs were announced in June as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s pro-trucker package that included a $275 million grant for truck parking and the cancelation of the truck speed-limiter rulemaking.
Both programs have previously been considered by FMCSA but did not lead to changes in truck driver hours-of-service rules, amid pushback from labor and safety advocates.
An attempt in 2020 to consider easing the 14-hour on-duty restrictions, which received 255 comments, was called “dangerous and reckless” by a group led by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
FMCSA attempted in 2017 and in 2021 to collect data and public feedback on sleeper berth split time options, but neither program advanced past the comment period stage.
Related articles:
- FMCSA extends trucking company’s sleeper berth exemption
- Split-duty rest break: A lever for boosting capacity?
- Feds respond to egg shortage by easing truck driver work rules
Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher.
The post Regulators take another swing at easing trucker work rules appeared first on FreightWaves.
