To The Editor:
(Jan. 29, 2015) Recently, the federal government stopped enforcing an onerous rule on professional truck drivers. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Congressman Richard Hanna, this issue was kept at the forefront in Congress for more than a year. The provision, commonly referred to as the 34-hour restart requirement, tried to regulate when truck drivers could sleep and actually put more large trucks on the road during morning rush hour when school buses were also on the roads. In essence, it made the traveling public less safe.
Congressman Hanna saw what was happening in communities across the nation and worked to have the 34-hour restart suspended. It is important to note that this suspension does not change the daily driving time limit, the daily working time limit, the daily rest break requirement, or the weekly work limit. These provisions remain intact and continue to limit the amount of time that professional drivers can drive on a daily and weekly basis. Congressman Hanna is to be commended for his work in addressing this burdensome issue but also keeping safety as a main priority.
Bureaucrats in Washington who have no experience hauling goods on America’s highways should not tell professional truck drivers when they are tired and when they’re not. Safety is paramount for truckers, and as much as anyone else we want to keep our drivers and the traveling public safe. The New York State Motor Truck Association would like to thank Congressman Hanna for ensuring commonsense policies are in place for the lifeblood of the American economy – the trucking industry.
Kendra Helms
New York State Motor Truck Association