Federal Court Leaves Trucker Regulations Mostly Intact

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August 2nd, 2013

Tightened government regulations on the amount of hours long-haul truckers can spend on the road have been largely upheld by the federal appeals court, ending a 14-year legal fight between the industry and consumer groups.

Some of the rules being challenged went into effect July 1, and include:

Limiting the maximum average work week for trucker to 70 hours, from the previous 82
Allowing drivers who reach the 70-hour limit to resume only after a mandatory rest for 34 consecutive hours. That includes at least two nights to help fatigued truckers to get their body clocks restored.
Requiring a 30-minute “off-duty” break during the first eight hours of a shift.