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Read moreHours of Service (HOS) requirements are a crucial component of Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores. The following information is important for fleets and drivers to keep top of mind when it comes to adhering to HOS regulations and avoiding non-compliance penalties—especially with recent changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) HOS are the maximum allowable working hours for commercial drivers within a given period of time. Regulations around HOS define how much rest a driver must have between shifts, as well as when breaks and cycles occur. Limits pertaining to HOS differ for property and passenger-carrying drivers.
HOS regulations are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and are designed to keep drowsy truck drivers off the road by limiting the number of consecutive hours they can drive and enforcing mandatory rest periods. HOS regulations are detailed on the FMCSA website and must be followed by commercial vehicle drivers throughout North America.
This is a summary of the HOS regulations set by the FMCSA for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) transporting property or goods:
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This is a summary of the HOS regulations set by the FMCSA for CMVs carrying passengers:
There are several exemptions to HOS compliance. This is a summary of the three most common:
The top two most common HOS violations are form and manner violations, and a driver’s record of duty (ROD) status not being current. Form and manner violations continue to take the lead among all roadside violations, but record of duty status isn't far behind.
Record of duty status violations make up about 10% of all roadside inspection violations, and more than 70% of all HOS violations. Part of the reason these violations are so common is that they are easily identified by inspectors. While electronic logging devices (ELDs) aid drivers in maintaining information like total miles driven, drivers still continue to receive violations for either not having an ELD, or for having disjointed information across different technology platforms that is not easily accessible by the inspector.
Exactly how much is a log book violation fine? It can range anywhere from $1,000 - $10,000, but can impact a business far beyond the face value of the violation alone in downtime and loss to reputation. The fine for driving out of hours can also total thousands of dollars.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and national emergency, hours of service rules have been relaxed for truckers directly helping emergency relief efforts. Here’s what trucking companies and drivers need to know:
On March 13, 2020, the FMCSA issued an Emergency Declaration providing HOS and other regulatory relief to commercial vehicle drivers transporting emergency relief in response to the nationwide Coronavirus outbreak. This was further extended and expanded on April 9 to cover the transportation of liquefied gases to be used in refrigeration or cooling systems.
On May 13, 2020 the FMCSA stated the continued COVID-19 national emergency has warranted an extension of this declaration until June 14, 2020. Keep yourself updated with the latest COVID 19 news here.
On May 14, the FMCSA published the final rule for HOS offering the trucking industry greater flexibility. The final rule is a result of hours-of-service reform that began in February 2018, when the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), petitioned the FMCSA. The ruling makes four key revisions to existing HOS rules:
The latest HOS regulatory update: Effective September 29, 2020
On June 1, 2020, the FMCSA revised the HOS regulations effective September 29, 2020. These new rules will help provide drivers with greater flexibility keeping safety in mind. There are four core changes:
The sleeper berth exception now allows the driver to meet the 10-hour off-duty minimum by spending at least 7 rather than 8 hours in the berth.
Stay up to date on the latest COVID-19 news here on our blog.
Tags: ELD & Compliance, Inspections
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