House Bill Would Delay HOS Sleeper-Berth Provisions

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bill introduced last week by one of the most influential transportation leaders in the House of Representatives would delay enforcement of rules dealing with the use of sleeper berths until January 2006.

he measure, introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), was introduced on Sept. 29 and would “postpone enforcement of new rules governing rest periods for truck drivers using sleeper berths until Jan. 1, 2006.”

rucking officials said they believed the bill could see floor action as soon as Thursday.

Young's proposal was co-sponsored by 13 other congressmen, including the chair and ranking minority member of the Transportation Committee's highway and transit subcommittee, Reps. Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) and Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.).

he sleeper-berth rules are part of the new hours-of-service rule issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in August.

Previously, drivers could split their rest periods in a sleeper berth into two periods, provided one period was at least two hours long. Now, while drivers can still split their rest periods, one of those periods must be at least eight hours long.

hough the new rules went into effect on Oct. 1, FMCSA said it was engaging in a transitional period of “soft enforcement” through Dec. 31.

he bill's introduction came the same week that American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves urged state enforcement agencies to follow FMCSA's lead with regard to soft enforcement.

(Click here for previous coverage.)