FMCSA Publishes Resources on Driver HOS Changes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has developed a new web-based template called Educational Tool for Hours of Service (ETHOS) to help motor carriers and drivers understand and comply with the new driver hours of service regulations.
According to the webpage, “When drivers and carriers enter their duty statuses into the web-based log below, ETHOS will identify where potential violations of the following rules may have occurred:
- 11-hour driving limit (property) or 10-hour driving limit (passenger)
- 14-hour driving window (property) or 15-hour on-duty limit (passenger)
- 30-minute break (property)
- Sleeper berth provision.”
Drivers may select an event date, time, and duty status and click “add event” in the template. Once all the data for a particular log is entered, potential violations will appear on the log and below the log in a table where users can switch between carrier types.
The FMCSA said that ETHOS is merely an educational tool to assist in understanding the new rules. The agency will not retain any data entered in this application, and will not use the data entered for any purpose.
FMCSA Seeking Applicants for Driver Advisory Panel. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking applicants to participate in its newly established driver advisory subcommittee which will function as part of the agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee.
The new panel will be comprised of 25 drivers from all sectors of the commercial motor vehicle industry—tractor trailer drivers, straight truck drivers, motor coach drivers, hazardous materials drivers, agriculture haulers, and more. FMCSA stated its goal with the new driver panel is to capture the wide array of viewpoints and experiences within the CMV community.
The driver subcommittee will provide input to the FMCSA on safety and regulatory topics affecting CMV drivers. The agency considered many comments from drivers in developing changes to the hours of service rules that went into effect September 29, 2020.
Drivers interested in joining the panel should submit a resume detailing their driving experience and a personal statement outlining how their qualifications and experience as a driver make them suitable for membership. Applicants may also submit any letter of recommendation they may wish, but it is not required. Please email these documents directly to MCSACDriver@dot.gov by Friday, October 16, 2020.
