FMCSA to Study Driver Detention Time
Besides traffic, one of the most aggravating aspects of being a driver is the time spent waiting at facilities for the truck to load and unload. This time is often unpaid, further exacerbating the problem. The FMCSA wants to study what effects this issue plaguing the trucking industry has on safety. If they do something about it, their actions may just have the additional effects of less waiting for drivers!
Details
On August 24th, the FMCSA posted in the Federal Register about its intention to study the effects of driver detention. Normally such a research project would be out of the scope of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but the FMCSA firmly believes reducing idling time will make road driving safer. The Notice reads, “…drivers who experience less detention time may be more likely to drive safely to reach their destinations within the HOS limits and less likely to operate beyond HOS limits and improperly log their driving and duty time to make deliveries on time.”
It does not take an expert in human physiology to understand that a trucker driving while tired is a safety risk, so spending less waking time twiddling thumbs in a warehouse will reduce the chances of fatigued road warriors, and reduce the total number of annual commercial vehicle crashes.
The study will collect data from 80 different carriers and up to 2,500 total vehicles over the course of a year, attempting to find a link between accident rates and driver detention times.
Conclusion
This could potentially be a big break for drivers in the trucking industry. If the FMCSA finds a strong connection between detention time and accidents, they may create regulations that would minimize detention time, or at the very least pay the trucker so as to incentivize the facility to get moving. Less time in the warehouse means more time on the road, and a healthier supply chain along with more money in everyone’s wallets.
The Federal Register webpage allows for public comment until October 23rd, 2023. If you have an opinion on this that is worth sharing, make sure to submit it before then!
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