An important Hours of Service change is on the docket to affect the trucking industry this year. Right before the holidays, President Barak Obama signed the FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Bill into law, suspending the two restrictions on the use of the 34-hour restart until the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 
(FMCSA) can properly study this matter.
As a result, the following two restrictions have been suspended:
- The requirement that all qualifying restarts contain two consecutive periods of time between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.
- The restriction on using a restart only once every 168 hours (or seven days).
In other words, the restart rule reverts back to the 34-hour restart in effect from 2003 to 2013, namely: A driver is permitted to restart his or her weekly hours by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off-duty, regardless of whether or not it includes two periods of time between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. And a driver can also utilize the restart more than one time per week, if necessary.
The following Q&A will help your driving operations better understand the impact of this action:
Q: When does this change go into effect?
A: The change is now in effect. This means the old rule highlighted above is now in effect and the restrictions on the 34-hour restart enacted in July 2013 are suspended.
Q: I use onboard computer technology. Will my units require some type of system upgrade and if so what is the status?
A: Yes, system upgrades are required and a transition period will be necessary prior to operating under the recent change. We recommend that you contact your onboard technology provider for specific details.
Q: Will enforcement officials know about this change?
A: There may be some confusion within the enforcement community as this change unfolds. During a roadside inspection, drivers can provide law enforcement officials with this document (link to PDF attachment) if there is confusion over the 34-hour restart change.
Q: I operate in Canada and have drivers that travel into the U.S. Are my drivers affected by these changes?
A: Yes, upon crossing the border into the U.S., Canadian drivers are subject to the U.S. HOS regulations that are in effect. Therefore the 34-hour restart changes described above apply to these drivers.
Also, for Ryder Dedicated customers, whose drivers are Ryder employees:
- Ryder’s SCOS and RydeSmart Teams have successfully transitioned our onboard technology platforms to meet the new HOS requirements. If you use one of these systems, you should have recently received separate, more detailed communications about this.
- All Ryder locations using paper logs may immediately begin operating under the 34-hour restart rule.
- If Ryder employed drivers experience any circumstances where enforcement officials incorrectly cite them for restart issues (in other words, issue a citation for failing to follow the 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. restart requirement), our Ryder operations teams have been instructed to immediately notify Ryder’s DOT Compliance department in Miami, who is available to file DataQ requests under these circumstances on behalf of Ryder employed drivers.
