The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced in a Wednesday press release it will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on new hours of service regulation this coming Monday.

By many accounts, the new rule will mandate automated log systems in some instances.
The comment period for the new rule will be shorter than usual.
"We are moving aggressively to make sure we have the best regulations in place to ensure truck driver health, save lives and keep the American economy moving safely on the nation's highways," FMCSA Administrator Annette M. Sandberg said. "Public feedback is critical to this effort. We need to hear from our stakeholders about their experiences regarding the 2003 HOS rule."
The 2003 hours of service rule is the one that went into effect one year ago, but was overturned by a federal judge in July. The rule remains in effect while the FMCSA tries to come up with a new rule that will satisfy the court’s findings. The FMCSA has until September to come up with an acceptable rule, which leaves less time than normal for comment – in this case, only a month and a half.
The FMCSA in its press release said that over the next 45 days, they will seek input from truck drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officials, safety advocates and others on the proposed regulation. The agency encouraged responses to specific questions that will be posed in the noticed.
The agency also is collecting new data to provide a more complete picture of the 2003 rule's impact on carrier operations and drivers' health.