Every year in the U.S., commercial truck crashes injure over two million people and kill approximately 32,000. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), driver fatigue is the primary cause of most of these accidents.
To stop these horrific tragedies and increase roadway safety for all motorists, new trucking rules took effect last July that reduced truck drivers’ maximum workweek to 70 hours from 82 hours and mandated a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of a shift.
The changes also require a 34-hour break between workweeks that must include two consecutive 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. periods.
A study sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shows the changes have reduced driver fatigue by ensuring that drivers get the rest they need to be alert, safe and awake while operating on roads they share with the traveling public.
Yet, the American Transportation Research Institute — a trucking industry group — claims the benefits cited in the study are insignificant, and the 34-hour break rule is wreaking havoc with early morning deliveries.
According to the trucking industry, the new rule prevents many truck drivers who work Monday through Saturday from beginning their Monday shifts before 5 a.m., which is reducing productivity and delaying deliveries.
Despite the reduced workweek, trucking industry employment hit a six-year high last month with 1.4 million carriers adding 6,800 new workers. Of course, some of these job gains are at least partly fueled by the need for more drivers to make up for the reduced hours.
To offset the reduction in driving hours, many companies are now building distribution centers closer to their customers, which shortens the average time for over-the-road truck hauls. But long-haul trucking companies complain that this has merely resulted in more frequent and less profitable deliveries.
Meanwhile, some trucking companies are thriving from a flurry of last-minute deliveries that occur when drivers at more traditional long-haul carriers exhaust their hours.
And since the new rules became effective, traffic safety experts have been encouraged by a significant decrease in the number of traffic crashes involving commercial trucks.
Ultimately, a slight delay in delivery times is well worth increased roadway safety, fewer traffic injuries and the number of lives that will be saved.
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