A bipartisan group of House transportation leaders is asking Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to postpone the effective date of the new hours of service rule.

In a March 18 letter to LaHood, the top majority and minority members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee asked for a three-month extension on the hours rule, which is scheduled to take effect July 1.

The rule is being challenged in court by American Trucking Associations and other groups. The court’s decision is expected in June. 

“A stay on the HOS rule would avoid costly and unnecessary training of enforcement officials and alleviate any confusion regarding the impact the court’s decision could have on the HOS rule,” said Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chairman of the T&I Committee.

The letter was co-signed by Reps. Tom Petri, R-Wisc., chairman of the Highway and Transit Subcommittee, Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., ranking member of the T&I committee, and Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., ranking member of the Highway and Transit Subcommittee.

Their request mirrors the one ATA recently made to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The agency rejected that request on grounds that it would postpone a safety improvement.