A recent survey conducted by the J. J. Keller Center for Market Insights shows that fleets are facing challenges from the recent hours-of-service (HOS) rule changes, while also identifying some benefits to the new rules.

The survey, New Hours of Service Change Viewpoints: 2020 Transport Industry Study, was conducted a week before the update on September 29, 2020. It was designed to gauge fleet aptitude and preparation for new rules.

“Surprisingly, our survey revealed that top carrier challenges were not with the new HOS per se, but rather with HOS requirements related to personal conveyance, yard moves, and unassigned driving events; and compliance with DOT recordkeeping, including the collection and maintenance of supporting documents. Basically, carriers are still wrestling with ELD mandate requirements,” said Eden Weller, senior customer and Market Insights manager at J.J. Keller.

The survey reported that 15% of respondents hadn't “heard about the new regulatory changes” and 40% “did not fully understand” or “had not evaluated the impact of the rules on their operations.” Fleet professionals also shared their struggles with other HOS-related Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requirements, including:

• Compliance with the 30-minute break from driving

• Driver HOS training

• Understanding and managing 395.1 exceptions

• Understanding ELD technology

• Developing and updating new HOS policies and procedures

“This data confirms the carrier struggle with ELD regulations and compliance continues, particularly with the management of DOT records,” said Tom Reader, senior director of ELD marketing at J. J. Keller. “These challenges, added to the increase of FMCSA off-site audits, make it imperative that fleet professionals prioritize their compliance efforts, automate manual processes, and digitize records. Motor carriers that achieve HOS compliance bullet-proof their operation from risk and secure another competitive advantage in the marketplace.”