Research Results Offer Solutions to HOS Regulations Currently Under Review  

Posted on October 25, 2018

Baltimore Truck Accident Lawyers weigh in on Hours of Service regulations and drowsy driving truck accidents. In response to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) request for public feedback on four provisions of the Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations, a global technology provider, EROAD, conducted research that offers valuable and relevant input to the FMCSA. The research reflects the opinions of its customer base, and will help the FMCSA make the best decisions regarding HOS improvements.

EROAD provides a range of services to the transportation industry, including fleet management, electronic tax reporting, and Electronic Logging Device (ELD) compliance solutions.

According to the president of EROAD North America, based on the feedback they received from customers, they learned that HOS flexibility is very important. EROAD is able to combine their data with the first-hand information they receive from fleet operators to help the FMCSA make the best, most effective improvements to HOS regulations.

After the FMCSA announced that it was seeking public input on HOS regulations, EROAD took the following steps to collect valuable information from members of the trucking industry:

  • Analyzed millions of data points from trips taken by US-based truck drivers between January 1 and July 31, 2018. Researchers closely examined the ELD data, in an effort to find patterns of FMCSA violations, including type, frequency per driver, and times of the violations.
  • Surveyed EROAD customers and other fleet operators based on questions provided by the FMCSA.
  • Hosted an open roundtable webinar, where data from the survey was shared and discussed.
  • Carriers were encouraged to submit their comments to the FMCSA using the webpage provided.

EROAD’s Research Results

After reviewing the data collected, EROAD researchers found the following results:

  • The most common violations included 30-minute rest breaks, 14-hour duty limit, 11-hour driving limit, and on-duty limit.
  • Violations per driver for 11-hour driving limits and 14-hour driving limits have been increasing.
  • Since the mandate was introduced, the proportions of violations have stayed fairly consistent.
  • The average time spent in violation has been going down over time.

According to the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association, EROAD has provided actionable information for the FMCSA. It is just one of the reasons why highly engaged suppliers are so valuable to the trucking industry.

HOS regulations were put into place by the FMCSA in an effort to reduce the number of drowsy driving accidents that occur in the trucking industry. There are several reasons why truckers drive while drowsy, including tight deadlines, health issues, and taking medications that can cause drowsiness.

HOS regulations can help prevent many of these devastating accidents and keep our roads and highways safe.

Baltimore Truck Accident Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Represent Victims of Drowsy Driving Truck Accidents

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a truck accident involving a drowsy truck driver, do not hesitate to contact the Baltimore truck accident lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton. We understand how devastating truck accidents can be, and we will work tirelessly to secure the maximum financial compensation you deserve. We will not stop fighting for you until justice has been served. To schedule a free, confidential consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.

Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent truck accident victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.