WASHINGTON - Believe it: The best thing to happen to the motorcoach industry in 2003 was the decision by the Bush Administration to apply the revised hours-of-service rule only to truckers, leaving coach drivers untouched.
That decision in April means coach companies across North America aren't having to cope with the enormous economic, operational and personnel issues now confronting the trucking industry.
On the first day of this month, truckers became subject to a new hours-of-service rule that represents the biggest change for that sector of the ground transportation industry since deregulation in 1980.
The new rule is having a profound impact on driver work-life, driver productivity, how drivers are paid, how truckers price their freight shipments and shipper-consignee behavior.
The ramifications even extend to worries about already overcrowded overnight rest areas, and whether shippers and carriers might have to change loading practices.
In short, the new rule has left many truckers baffled, bewildered and confused. Trucking industry publications have been filled with articles in recent weeks about all of the questions being raised by the new rule and its implementation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is executing a plan it hopes will educate truck drivers about the new rule. State and federal officials expect to spend the next two months waging their education effort, while at the same time enforcing egregious violations of the revised rule. The education and enforcement plans are supposed to ensure long-term compliance and understanding of the rule.
The new hours-of-service rule for truckers represents the first major rewrite of the hours-of-service regulations in more than 60 years. The revision was designed to synchronize trucker drivers' work and rest schedule better with the body's circadian rhythm to reduce fatigue and ultimately save lives.
The new rule cuts the overall driver workday by one hour to 14, and extends actual allowed driving time by an hour, to 11, but tighter language on consecutive working hours has many truckers saying it will change a long practice of drivers going off the clock while waiting at a freight dock and then logging back in when they hit the road.
Truckers may not drive after being on duty for 60 hours in a seven-consecutive-day period or 70 hours in an eight-consecutive-day period. This on-duty cycle may be restarted only after a driver takes a "weekend" off, that is, at least 34 consecutive hours off duty.
The old rule, which is the one that still applies to motorcoach drivers, allowed 10 hours of driving within a 15-hour, on-duty period, and required only eight hours of off-duty time.
A number of large trucking companies have announced increases in driver pay, both to attract more drivers to help make up for the rule change and to keep pay levels for current drivers from falling because of reduced work hours.
During the next 45 days, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is asking states to write warnings instead of citations for all but flagrant violations of the new rule.
State officials also are being encouraged to use every stop during January and February as an opportunity to educate drivers about the rule. In addition, federal inspectors will coordinate education and enforcement efforts from regional offices across the country.
"The new safety rule gives us the means to save hundreds of lives, protect billions in commerce and safeguard our roads and highways for years to come," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta. "We must do whatever we can to make certain everyone is aware and in full compliance as soon as possible."
It is estimated the new hours-of-service rule will save 75 lives, prevent 1,326 fatigue-related injuries, and prevent 6,900 property damage-only crashes annually, resulting in a cost savings to the American economy of $628 million a year.
Detailed information about the rule is available at www.fmcsa.dot.gov and FMCSA has a toll-free telephone line to answer drivers' questions. The number is (800) 598-5664.