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The FMCSA, or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, plays a huge role in regulating trucking operations. It helps to develop and reinforce regulations, educates the public, and it also promotes safety throughout the trucking industry. Specifically, when we look at hours of service, or HOS regulations, there are many rules set to improve road safety and reduce driver fatigue. These regulations are some of the most well-known and important regulations for drivers. We’re going to look at the recent horse of service requirements and how they can impact your trucking business.
What Are the Hours of Service Rules?
HOS, or Hours of Service, are regulations that are put in place for drivers to ensure that they are not going over a certain number of hours of driving at a time. They set rules such as the maximum driving hours, required breaks and rest periods, as well as off-duty and on-duty times. These regulations kept drivers safe and ensured that the working conditions they were a part of were safe and fair. One example of the HOS before the changes was the 11-hour driving limit. This meant that truck drivers were required to take a break after 11 hours of driving, with a 14-hour on-duty window. There was also a 60- to 70-hour weekly limit for driving hours. Truck drivers are to track their driving time when they are active, which will help them to stay within these limits. However, things have changed with the recent FMCSA hours of service requirement changes.
A Look at the New HOS Requirements
There have been new updates from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in regards to the hours of service requirements. These changes affect every single truck driver in the industry, as the HOS is a requirement that’s met by everyone. Here is a look at some of the changes and specific updates that were made by the FMCSA:
Short Haul Exception
If you are a short-haul truck driver, then this change is specifically for you. This change expands the short-haul exception to 150 air miles and allows for a 14-hour work shift to take place as part of the exception. This is only for truck drivers who work with short-haul loads.
Adverse Driving Conditions Exception
Every day is different when it comes to both the weather and driving conditions in different areas. This change expands the driving window during adverse driving conditions by up to 2 additional hours.
30-Minute Break Requirement
This change is going to affect every truck driver who works in this industry. This change will now require a break of at least 30 minutes after 8 cumulative hours of driving time, instead of on-duty time. This change also allows for an on-duty or non-driving period to qualify as the required break.
Sleeper Berth Provision
This applies to truck drivers who are driving a sleeper, which ultimately means that they are doing long-haul. This change applies to the sleeper berth exception to allow a driver to meet the 10-hour driving minimum off-duty requirement by spending 7 or more hours of that period in the berth. This is also combined with a minimum of 2 hours spent inside or outside the berth. When both of these are combined, neither of them counts against the 14-hour driving window.
How Will These Changes Affect Your Trucking Business
If you are a trucking owner, then you will be affected by these changes, and you can expect to see some differences within your business and how it operates. Here are a few ways that your business may change:
Increased Flexibility: Drivers will have some extra flexibility when it comes to the expanded short-haul limits and the sleeper berth flexibility. This will help to plan better routes and manage schedules more efficiently.
Increased Efficiency: These changes were made to increase efficiency and reduce downtime, which will lead to improved delivery times and earnings for the drivers and you.
Admin Changes: Administration work will change a bit as there will be changes to the ELDs and recordkeeping due to the hourly limit changes, mostly.
Safety: These changes are put in place to keep truck drivers safe and with the hourly limit changes, fatigue management is crucial to be prioritized. It’s also important to keep up with these regulations to avoid fines or penalties to your business, so ensure that you are familiar with the changes.
How to Stay Compliant With the Changes
As a truck driver or trucking company, it can seem like a difficult task to stay on top of all of the changes that may come about, but we are giving you a four-step plan that’s easily implemented so that you can stay on top of all of the potential changes that may come with trucking.
Step 1: Review FMSCA updates and train your drivers on the new regulations to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Step 2: Audit and update ELD settings for the current standards that are to be met.
Step 3: Create a new route planning strategy that uses the added flexibility to ensure your drivers are on task and delivery times are on par.
Step 4: Work with a factoring partner to keep your cash flow steady while adjusting to the regulatory changes.
Prepare for FMCSA Changes with Factoring
At TBS Factoring, we understand that these changes may seem difficult to keep up with, but we help take the biggest issues off your plate. As you adjust to the new requirements, we help you to keep a steady cash flow and avoid taking time off from deliveries to keep your team and systems up to date. Changes in the FMCSA requirements are necessary to stay on top of safety protocols and ultimately keep the trucking industry moving steadily, but it can seem like a bottleneck that your trucking business can’t get over. Reach out to us at TBS Factoring to find out how we can help support your trucking business, keep your cash flowing, and be an asset to your business that you wish you’d always had, especially in times of change.
