{"id":71285,"date":"2021-01-13T17:19:55","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T17:19:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hildasibrian.com\/?p=71285"},"modified":"2026-03-10T09:11:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T14:11:27","slug":"challenges-from-the-hours-of-service-rule-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hildasibrian.com\/en\/blog\/challenges-from-the-hours-of-service-rule-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenges From the Recent Hours-of-Service Rule Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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One of the ongoing issues facing all commercial truck fleets \u2014 as well as the drivers who work for them \u2014 is balancing safety and speed. Trucking companies have an understandable desire to get their trucks where they need to be as quickly as possible, but when drivers are handling vehicles that weigh 35,000 pounds or more, the drivers need to be adequately rested.<\/p>

That\u2019s why the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented Hours of Service<\/a> guidelines for truck drivers. Recently, the FMCSA updated some of these guidelines, and a survey shows that many truck fleets are struggling with these changes.<\/p>

What the Survey Reported<\/strong><\/h2>

The survey, which was conducted by the firm J.J. Keller<\/a>, found that only 45 percent of respondents were aware of the new rules and had a solid grasp of the changes that their fleets would have to make in response. About 39 percent of respondents were aware of the new rules but hadn\u2019t evaluated their impact, and 16 percent of respondents were just hearing about the new rules, even though the survey was sent a week before the changes went into effect.<\/p>

Many fleets are also holding off on making any changes to their operations. About 27 said they had already made changes based on the new rules, and 23 percent said they were planning on making some changes, but the rest of the respondents were much more reluctant. About 10 of respondents said they were taking a \u201cwait and see\u201d approach, 7 percent said they wouldn\u2019t be making any changes, and an astonishing 33 percent of respondents said they didn\u2019t know what changes they might be making.<\/p>

Challenges With New HOS Requirements<\/strong><\/h2>

Some of the specific challenges that respondents mentioned included:<\/p>