Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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10 commercial carrier journal | january 2018 JOURNAL NEWS Drivers rail against hours rule in House hearing on regulations R epresentatives from the owner- operator community and small fleet segment told lawmakers in Washington that federal regulations, particularly the inflexibility of current hours-of-service regulations, crimp their productivity and profitability. The House Committee on Small Business on Nov. 29 heard about federal regulations, including the electronic logging device mandate, and their impact on small trucking businesses. Truckers representing the Owner- Operator Independent Drivers Association and National Association of Small Trucking Companies voiced their concerns. Monte Wiederhold, president of seven-truck fleet B.L. Reever Transport and OOIDA board mem- ber, told the House committee the negative attention the ELD mandate has received from owner-operators and small business truckers stems from the current rigidity of the HOS regulations. "These rules push drivers to drive farther and faster," Wiederhold said. "There is no flexibility in the hours of service right now. The clock never stops, and it penalizes drivers who are trying to be safe." Wiederhold said he's not against the use of ELDs, but he is against the devices being mandated for all truck- ers. "For small businesses, it's only a cost," he said. "There are no savings as [the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration] has said." Marty DiGiacomo, owner-operator of True Blue Transportation and tes- tifying on behalf of NASTC, told the committee he agrees with Wiederhold that ELDs shouldn't be mandated. "If it benefits my business and helps me be safer, I'll buy it," DiGiacomo said. "Give us the choice. At some point, I could see looking into it if it benefits me, but right now, it doesn't, because the hours-of-service regula- tions are the biggest problem." Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), who is not a member of the Small Business Committee, was in attendance for the hearing because of his proposed legislation to delay the ELD man- date. Babin told the committee he understands ELDs do work for some larger fleets, but the trucking industry doesn't allow for a one-size-fits-all mandate. "I've talked to constituents in my district and outside of my district that have grave concerns about the unknowns and the question marks about how safe the ELD mandate is," he said. "I'm not trying to abol- ish ELDs. If it saves you money and makes you safer, keep using them. If you like your ELD, you can keep your ELD." Babin said the purpose of his proposed legislation, which would delay ELD implementation for two years, is to give more time to "work out some questions on ELDs," add- ing "it's not unreasonable to ask [the U.S. Department of Transportation] for a waiver to get these questions answered." Committee Chairman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) said it's obvious there is disagreement between small and large trucking companies, and the commit- tee would relay the concerns of small trucking businesses to their colleagues in Congress to consider easing the regulatory burden on the industry. – Matt Cole OOIDA board member Monte Wiederhold testified about the challenges overregula- tion brings to small trucking businesses. The New ETCOM Bushing Line Precision fi t for your Tractor, Trailer, Truck or Bus For more information, visit our website at www.etcominc.com or call us at 610.325.4496. • Eliminates grease in your brake system. • Ends contamination of the brake shoes and drums from grease, which can cause serious braking and safety issues. • Less likely of being ticketed or tagged by Law Enforcement. • Lowers maintenance costs, increases "Up Time" and productivity. • Reduces brake squeal and easy to install. • Holds its original shape. Will not melt or cold fl ow from overheated brakes and will not "squeeze-out" over time. • Greatly prolongs the life of the brake system by maintaining a tighter tolerance in your brake system. • Not affected by road grime, oils, fuels or contaminants. ETCOM's "No Grease" S-Cam Composite Bushing No grease ! etcomAd-4.5x3.5.indd 3 8/31/2016 10:33:10 AM Untitled-33 1 3/20/17 9:52 AM