FMCSA's HOS flexibility pilots move to White House review; comments open through Dec. 7

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has submitted formal information collection requests to the White House Office of Management and Budget for its two hours-of-service flexibility pilots, opening a public comment period that runs through Dec. 7, according to Overdrive on Oct. 7.

The move is the next procedural step for the pilots announced earlier this month. The split-sleeper pilot will test more flexible split sleeper berth options — including 6/4 and 5/5 splits — against today's rules, which allow 7/3 and 8/2 splits, to see whether they improve working conditions and quality of life for drivers. The split-duty pilot lets drivers pause the 14-hour driving window with between 30 minutes and 3 hours of off-duty, sleeper-berth, or on-duty/not-driving time taken at a pickup or delivery location. About 256 drivers will take part in each study for 16 weeks.

FMCSA will collect pre- and post-study surveys, psychomotor vigilance tests, subjective sleepiness ratings, wrist-actigraphy data, drivers' records of duty status, and data from a non-intrusive telematics device. Carriers must grant permission for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to gather RODS data for each participating driver.

Eligibility is strict on both sides. Carriers — including independent owner-operators — need interstate operating authority, minimum financial responsibility, no high- or moderate-risk designation, no "Unsatisfactory" safety rating, no FMCSA enforcement actions in the past 3 years, and no driver or vehicle out-of-service rates above the national average. Drivers are ineligible if they appear in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse — even after completing the return-to-duty process — or had a license suspended, revoked, or canceled in the prior 2 years.