The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is seeking motor carrier data to measure the effects of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's hours of service provision that substantially altered the sleeper berth
exception affecting drivers' ability to split sleeper berth time.
ATRI will collect data quarterly in an effort to track changes in driver safety performance and measure it against the overall safety impacts of the 2004 hours of service rules, which included a more flexible sleeper berth provision.
"Many parts of the trucking industry have expressed concern over the potential safety implications of the new sleeper berth rule," said Dave Osiecki, ATA's vice president of Safety, Security and Operations. "This data collection effort provides a great opportunity for carriers to share their safety experience under this new sleeper berth rule to see how it compares with the previous, more flexible rule. The analysis of this data could form the basis of an argument for change."
ATRI's study represents the second stage of data collection as part of its continuing research to measure the safety impacts of the hours of service rules changes. Information required includes collision and driver injury data covering the period Jan. 1 through March 31, 2006. Data by participating motor carriers should be submitted no later than April 30, 2006. ATRI will be collecting this same data on a quarterly basis throughout 2006. Carriers interested in providing data can contact ATRI's Virginia Dick at (770) 432-0628 or at vdick@trucking.org.
ATRI published the findings from its first hours of service study, "Safety Impacts of the New Hours of Service," in February, analyzing the safety effects of the 2004 rules. The study compared the data with previous hours of service rules that had governed driver health, safety and carrier productivity for decades. This research found that the 2004 driver work and rest rules generated significant improvements in driver safety performance.
ATRI is the trucking industry's not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.