Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

National Headquarters: 1 NW OOIDA Drive, Grain Valley, MO 64029

Tel: (816) 229-5791 Fax: (816) 427-4468
Washington Office: 1100 New Jersey Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20003
Tel: (202) 347-2007 Fax: (202) 347-2008

December 5, 2014
Members of the Senate & House Appropriations Committee
Dear _______________:
As representatives of our nations small business truckers and professional drivers, OOIDA writes to urge your
support for maintaining language in the final FY15 appropriations bill that would temporarily address unsafe
consequences from changes to the hours-of-service (HOS) rules that went into effect in 2013.
Since the rule change went into effect, OOIDA has been contacted by countless professional drivers highlighting the
negative impacts resulting from restrictions on their ability to control when they take a 34-hour restart break. These
are drivers who want to use provisions within the HOS rules designed to allow them to take meaningful time off the
road, yet the new regulations force them to drive in heavier traffic situations during rush hour by mandating that the
34-hour restart period include two consecutive 1:00AM 5:00AM windows. Not only does this requirement have a
negative impact on efficient freight movement, but it results in more trucks on the road at the busiest times of the
day.
In a survey by the OOIDA Foundation completed last year, about 46 percent of respondents reported feeling
more fatigued since the changes, and 65 percent said they receive less income. The report also says that the one
34-hour restart per week provision has caused 56 percent of the respondents to lose mileage and loads hauled per
week. In comments, many respondents said they experience less time at home and increased stress. Indeed, the
evidence of personal experience compels professional drivers to support removal of the restart restriction.
The provision authored by Senator Collins and approved on a bipartisan basis by the Senate Appropriations
Committee is a common-sense approach to the concerns of thousands of safe and professional drivers. It would
temporarily stay the restart restrictions during an independent study of the provision. This is the approach that the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration should have taken the first time, and Senator Collins language is the
best way to examine these issues.
Regarding the claims made by those opposed to the Collins Amendment regarding truckers working 80 hours or
more per week, please read this article from OOIDAs membership magazine, Land Line, where OOIDAs Director
of Regulatory Affairs (and a former long-time trucker), debunks those myths:
http://landlinemag.com/Magazine/2014/Oct/Section2/Scare-Tactic1.pdf.
OOIDAs members are professional drivers and small business owners. They are focused on safer roads and
improving highway safety. That is why OOIDA launched the Truckers for Safety agenda, urging policymakers to
take action on many common-sense improvements, including finalizing long-overdue training standards for new
truck drivers. You can learn more at http://www.truckersforsafety.com.
Thank your for your consideration on this important matter. Should you have any questions, please contact Ryan S.
Bowley in OOIDAs Washington, DC office at ryan_bowley@ooida.com.
Sincerely,

Todd Spencer
Executive Vice President