After being passed by a vote of 21-9 by the Senate Appropriations Committee, the bill to suspend the July 2013 changes hit a roadblock when it finally reached the senate floor. The amendment was lumped into a much larger bill, which lawmakers were not able to come to an agreement on, and subsequently pulled off the floor by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
The bill was spearheaded by Sen. Susan Collins, and set out to suspend the provisions in the new HOS rules that forced drivers to take their 34 hour reset between 1 AM and 5 AM.
In a move that may surprise some, the Fraternal Order of Police, a major police union made up of current and former police officers, recently backed Senator Collins’ bill and supported the suspension of the restrictive HOS rules.
In a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Chuck Canterbury, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, wrote:
“In our view, this only makes sense from a public safety perspective…The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration did not adequately research the public highway safety implications of the new HOS regulations”
Canterbury also went on to point out that requiring truck drivers to take their breaks during the late night/early morning hours forced “heavy trucks into the peak hours of roadways use, interfering with everyday commuters, children going to school and morning traffic volumes.” A view that has been shared by others, including many drivers.
Several high profile individuals and groups have come out in support of the bill such as the Owner-Operator Independent Driver’s Association, and now the FOP. However, until the bill makes it to the senate floor again, the 2013 HOS rules will still be effect.
