FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tiffany Wlazlowski
July 24, 2007
(703) 838-1717

ATA to Challenge Court’s Revision to Driver Work Rules
Current Hours of Service Rules Safer Than Previous Standard...

Arlington, Va. -- The American Trucking Associations today said it will seek
a stay from the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
to keep the current rules governing truck drivers’ work and rest periods in
place until the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration provides the
court with explanations for two of the rules provisions.[As Ricky Ricardo
would say "they've got a lot of splainin to do"]The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia today
remanded the Hours of Service (HOS) rules to FMCSA, ruling that the agency
must provide better explanations of its justifications for adopting the
11-hour drive time and 34-hour restart provisions of the rule. The rest of
the rules remain in place, and FMCSA and other parties have 45 days to
petition for reconsideration.

Current driver rules will remain in effect for approximately 52 days, until
the court order becomes effective. Before then, ATA plans to file a motion
with the Court asking it to stay the effective date of its decision while
FMCSA is reconsidering the rule. ATA will provide support to FMCSA for
re-adoption of the 11-hour daily drive time and 34-hour restart.[DEAD ON
ARRIVAL IF THE COURT SEES IT AGAIN]

From the trucking industry’s standpoint, the good news in the decision is
that the flaws that the Court found were procedural in nature and can be
corrected by the agency. [WITH SMOKE AND MIRRORS]
“ATA believes the existing rules have proven to be a significant improvement
over the old rules in terms of reducing driver fatigue and related
incidents,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “Motor carrier
experience and FMCSA data dramatically illustrate this. ATA plans to provide
additional real-world documentation of the effectiveness of the current
rules.”[SO DO WE SHOW THE REAL-WORLD EVIDENCE OF CARNAGE ON THE HIGHWAY????]The current rules limit driving time to 11 hours and mandate a 10-hour rest
time. ATA supports the current regulation, which promotes a regular
work-rest cycle for truck drivers and a schedule that is closer to a 24-hour
circadian rhythm. The 11th hour of driving time safely provides flexibility
for trucking operations without increasing driver fatigue. The 34- hour
restart gives drivers much greater flexibility to manage their time,
relieving stress and allowing more time at home.

ATA also continues to believe that the rules should provide greater
flexibility for both solo and team drivers who utilize sleeper berths. ATA
is collecting data [FUXZY MATH???]that show the agency that greater
flexibility to select sleep times and duration based on individual need
maximizes driver sleep opportunities and ensures better alertness and safety
on the nation’s highways.

The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association
for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups,
industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking
associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of
motor carrier in the United States....