CCJ

October 2016

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

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14 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2016 JOURNAL NEWS FMCSA denies inspectors' request to rescind 30-minute break T he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration denied a peti- tion made by North American truck inspectors asking the agency to rescind the 30-minute rest break required by the current hours-of- service rule. The 30-minute break was instituted July 1, 2013, and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance filed a petition last year asking FMCSA to rescind the requirement, saying it was difficult to enforce, allows greater opportunity for falsified duty logs and contributes little to on-highway safety. CVSA represents truck and bus inspectors in North America, including national, state and local field inspectors. In a letter sent to CVSA, FMCSA disagreed with the alliance's asser- tions and defended the safety benefits of the 30-minute break. The agency also noted the August 2013 ruling by a U.S. Appeals Court that upheld the requirement for long-haul operators. "The agency finds no merit in CVSA's challenge to the value of the 30-minute rest break require- ment," FMCSA wrote. "The fact that [CVSA] believes the provision may be difficult to enforce does not negate its safety benefit. This is espe- cially true given the lack of data to support the contention that the rule is difficult to enforce." Truck operators are required to take a 30-minute break within their first eight hours on duty each day. FMCSA said data gleaned in 2013, 2014 and 2015 relative to the 30-minute break support its decision to uphold the requirement. "Given the number of violations cited during roadside inspections, there is no reason to believe that enforcement officials are having any difficulty documenting these viola- tions," the agency wrote. – Jill Dunn PREMIUM BRANDS. LOCAL EXPERTS. There's no beating the ease of doing business with your trusted local truck parts distributor. As part of North America's Leading Truck Parts Network ® , your local VIPAR Heavy Duty Parts Professional offers the brands you want and the expertise you need, with the strength and resources of a network of over 550 locations throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. THE RIGHT PEOPLE. THE RIGHT PARTS. THE RIGHT PLACES. FIND A VIPAR HEAVY DUTY PARTS AND SERVICE PROFESSIONAL AT VIPAR.COM VIPAR TTS Parts ad 081716.indd 1 8/17/16 9:15 AM CVSA said the 30-minute rest break was di cult to enforce, allows greater opportunity for falsi ed duty logs and contributes little to safety.

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