Effects of Trucking Regulations on Your Supply Chain

In the weeks following Tracy Morgan’s June 2014 vehicle accident involving a tractor trailer on the New Jersey Turnpike, discussion regarding highway safety regulations took the spotlight in the news. The debate has once again taken center stage on Capitol Hill surrounding Congress’s December 11th vote on trucking regulations. This is to be included in the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill that will keep the federal government running through fiscal 2016.

Congress has now passed a bill that suspends the 2013 regulation which limited the amount of time truck drivers could spend on the road per week. The 34-Hour Restart regulation required that drivers take a 34-hour restart at the end of a work week before returning to work. The restart was required to include two consecutive 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. periods off-duty. This made planning the work week problematic for drivers, who had to meet strict time periods of rest. Both carriers and drivers lamented the regulations, as they made it more difficult to schedule drivers and efficiently route trucks. In turn, this made businesses that rely on truckloads for their freight transportation more vulnerable to disruption in their supply chains.

Those in favor of the suspension of the restart argue that it will allow for increased productivity and make trucking more profitable, while opponents of the bill, including Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, have expressed concern that the suspension will put lives at risk.

The most significant aspect of this bill may be the provision that requires that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) complete a study for Congress on the impact of the 34-hour restart rule. Until now, no conclusive evidence has been shown as to whether these regulations have been effective in keeping roadways safe.

With the suspension of the restart provision, drivers will now be under less governmental scrutiny, allowing for more flexibility in scheduling and likely resulting in better service for shippers. The American Trucking Association (ACA) believes the suspension will lead to increased productivity and allow businesses to have additional options for more cost-efficient freight transportation.

Contributor: Elizabeth Hardy