At the Mid-America Trucking Show, representatives from The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration discussed two key initiatives affecting truck drivers – research into driver compensation and detention time.
FMCSA’s Research Division Chief Jon Mueller has declared the agency is in the beginning phases of researching detention time, and its effects on safety. The current study continues a project which started six years ago as part of their mission to keep drivers safe while they’re out on the roads.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a new change in the study protocol that redefines detention time: previously beginning two hours after arrival at a facility, it will now be defined differently. This revised definition could have far-reaching implications for industry operations and safety measures nationwide.
The agency says that, going forward, detention time will be calculated using a formula taking into account loading/unloading and active dwell times. The agency will calculate detention as the total dwell time minus the combination of loading/unloading and active dwell time. FMCSA says Active dwell involves tasks like creating bills of lading and performing vehicle inspections – while load/unload is the actual cargo management occurring at collection or delivery points.
This means detention will then be any time spent at a shipping or receiving facility not associated with active dwell or loading/unloading.
By July 2025, the detention study is expected to be completed with a final report published.
Nicole Michel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has revealed that a Congressionally-mandated study exploring driver compensation impacts on safety and retention in the industry is being overseen by Transportation Research Board (TRB). To ensure impartiality, FMCSA will have no involvement with conducting nor influencing any elements of this research,
So far, the Transportation Research Board has held three meetings to look into how driver compensation works and what regulations are in place. These public gatherings have been essential for getting a good grasp of the challenges faced by drivers, according to Michel.
TRB’s extensive compensation study is progressing towards its July 2024 completion goal, though it could be extended should the need arise. Upon wrapping up the research process, a formal report will be released to Congress that may suggest policy and legislative reform for government agencies based on their finding.
Tom Keane, Associate Administrator of the FMCSA, expressed enthusiasm for the two studies over what he described as “win-win opportunities” for the trucking industry which can simultaneously improve working conditions and safety standards while breaking down long standing barriers in the sector.
Keane noted, however, that “FMCSA’s regulatory authority is limited to solve both of these issues,” but the hope is that both reports “will raise visibility of these micro market failures.”
Source: Overdrive
