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With
the Hours-of-Service commentary period behind us and the uncertainty of what a
Bush administration agenda will bring to trucking industry regulators, the
future of an hours-of-service change seems fairly fuzzy. No pun intended. FMCSA
has been pounded with over 70,000 comments on their hours-of-service proposal
and won't be able to propose anything further until after they have been able to
digest the comments. This could take a considerable amount of time.... Additionally,
without doubt, there will be new leadership at the FMCSA under the Bush
administration. Who this turns out to be, how many of the current folks stay and
what the marching orders will be, is still to be seen. This could have a major
impact on the future promulgation of hours-of-service regulations. The
trucking opponent groups will undoubtedly continue to push their restrictive
hours philosophy and will surely carry much political weight in the new
congress. For anyone truly interested in trucking safety, a word to the
wise..... don't think this battle is over with! Although defeated in
the first battle of the proposed hours-of-service regulations, these groups will
certainly be back to push their narrow agenda on the nation. Just because the
comment period is over.... don't become complacent. We must all keep a close eye
on the evolving hours-of-service agenda to make sure we don't get a safety catastrophe
shoved down our throats. Stay diligent, keep up on the latest
developments and keep your congressional representatives informed of your
concerns. The nation needs a new hours-of-service regulation, no doubt about
it.... But we need a sensible, understandable, enforceable and safety based
regulation. Anything less would be a travesty to the nation.......
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