HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD A TRUCKER DRIVE

The National Transportation Safety Board estimates that fatigue is a factor in half of all trucking-related crash fatalities annually. The government already has hours-of-service regulations for truckers. The problem is that the rules were put in place in 1939. The Federal Highway Administration is set to release proposed changes to the regulations in the spring of 2000, with the final version of the new rules released in late 2000 or early 2001. Safety groups and government bodies say changes in hours-of-service should be considered in the context of other relevant factors, including the body's internal clock, payment methods for truck drivers, and driving time records. Current regulations say that for every 8 hours a trucker is off-duty, he can drive for 10 hours and work (loading and unloading) for as long as 5 more. A trucking industry newspaper reported that the new regulations would mandate a 14/10 schedule: 14 hours driving, 10 hours off. However, safety groups say that arrangement does not give drivers enough time to get home and actually sleep. They favor 12-14 hour rest periods with 10-12 hour driving limits.