Restart Rule

We all heard the horrific news in New Jersey about a multiple vehicle accident, in which there were numerous victims, include comedian Tracy Morgan. We are all praying for the best. According to the details of the incident, a truck driver with a WalMart truck was not properly observing the slow moving traffic at night on the New Jersey Turnpike. The result was this major accident. The National Transportation Safety Board has already stated that they will take an active role in this investigation and review it. It is important to review it, because shipping freight by truck is important and so is safety on the road.

According to the court papers, the truck driver in question did not sleep for over 24 hours before the crash. Driver fatigue is a major cause of road accidents that occur with commercial vehicles. Last summer, the FMSCA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) enforced the Hours of Service Rules. One of the rules included automatic rest of 34 hours for a truck driver who has been on the road for a long period of time. This is called the restart rule. The FMSCA projected that the rule will eliminate 1400 crashes and save 19 lives. One week before this accident in New Jersey, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to suspend the rule.

The rule is a major component of safety on the road for people and for cargo. If you are concerned about how the implications of this possible rule change will impact your shipment, contact you trusted freight forwarder.