Appeals Court Throws Out New Trucker Hours Of Service Rules

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia last week vacated the Washington, D.C.-based Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) new hours-of-service rules for interstate truckers, which became effective on Jan. 4. The rules, according to The Washington Post, "increased to 11 hours from 10 the amount of time a trucker can drive without a break, even though the government conceded that ‘studies show … that performance begins to degrade after the 8th hour on duty and increases geometrically during the 10th and 11th hours,’ according to court documents."

The federal government has 45 days to decide whether to appeal the ruling. The vacated rules will remain in effect while the FMCSA considers its options and could do so for up to 90 days if the federal government seeks a stay of the decision, according to news reports.