Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/936627
14 commercial carrier journal | february 2018 JOURNAL NEWS DOT plans to survey truck drivers on personal commute times, miles T he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Ad- ministration last month announced its intention to survey drivers about the time they spend commuting in their per- sonal vehicles, seeking to determine how often truckers' commutes to their driving jobs exceed 2½ hours. The agency says it intends to study the ramifications of "ex- cessive commuting on safety and driver fatigue" after the survey's completion. FMCSA has asked the White House Office of Management and Budget to grant its request to proceed with the survey. The agency aims to have at least 500 participating drivers, divided equally among truck drivers and bus drivers. The FAST Act highway law enacted in 2015 directed FMCSA to perform the research. The agency plans to seek feedback on drivers' work history, commuting times, transportation mode, work schedules, rest periods and breaks, annual miles driven and demographic information. A high-profile crash on the New Jersey Turnpike in 2014, which killed comedian James McNair and severely injured actor Tracy Morgan, shed light on the potential for long commutes by truckers to undermine their hours-of- service limits. Truck driver Kevin Roper, who alleg- edly fell asleep at the wheel before rear- ending Morgan's Mercedes Sprinter Van in June 2014, had commuted 800 miles from Georgia to Delaware the morning before beginning his on-duty driving period for Walmart's private fleet. Roper reportedly had slept only four hours in the 33 hours prior to the crash. However, he was within his official hours-of-service limits at the time of the accident. In its request to OMB to proceed with the study, FMCSA says long com- mutes can "compromise off-duty time" and "lead to excessive fatigue while on duty, creating safety concerns." Long commutes also can adversely impact drivers' health, the agency contends. – James Jaillet CONNECT A HOSE LEVER CLOSED ATTACH THE REMOVABLE HOSE END LEVER CLOSED OPEN THE LEVER TO DRAIN OIL LEVER OPEN L-SHAPED STRAIGHT REMOVABLE HOSE END www.EZoildrain.com (425) 999-1200 Optional Hose Connections THE EASIEST OIL CHANGE OIL DRAIN VALVE EZ THE EASIEST OIL CHANGE THE EASIEST OIL CHANGE VALVE VALVE THE EASIEST OIL CHANGE THE EASIEST OIL CHANGE THE EASIEST OIL CHANGE THE EASIEST OIL CHANGE US PATENTED REPLACES YOUR DRAIN PLUG TURN THE LEVER TO DRAIN OIL NEW & IMPROVED Available at Participating NAPA Auto & Truck Parts stores nationwide and all Traction and Global Parts locations R EZ Oil_CCJ1217_PG.indd 1 10/27/17 9:00 AM Untitled-17 1 12/1/17 9:52 AM Forward-facing dashcams can detect improper lane departures and following dis- tances, which can be signs of driver fatigue.