Up Front
Rules of the Road
Is it the “biggest change ever in the way the industry operates”
or is it literally just another hour in another long day in the life of an over-the-road
professional?
On Jan. 4, 2004, the new hours-of-service rule that governs how many hours
drivers can drive in the course of a day will officially take effect. The new
rule, many years in the making, will basically allow drivers one more hour behind
the wheel before they have to stop and rest. At the same time, it adds two hours
to the amount of time drivers must rest before they can hit the road again.
For more details, see our “Life on the Road” feature in this issue
of OTR.
According to the Feds, the new rule is supposed to reduce truck-related accidents
by mandating more rest for drivers, but only time will tell if it achieves its
goal. We asked drivers for their opinions in this month’s “Say What?”
feature, and most said they don’t expect their world to change all that
much because of the new rule.
In the end, good drivers know that when it comes to safety, there’s
no rule more valuable than experience, patience and common sense.
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