Republican lawmakers want driving limits rule stopped
Many Republican officials are now speaking out against the new hours-of-service regulations currently under consideration by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Both House Speaker John A. Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Eric Cantor wrote a joint letter to President Barack Obama, asking him to stop the rules before they are finalized later this month, The Washington Times reports.
The new regulations would limit the number of hours truckers could be on the road per day from 11 to 10 in addition to modifying the rules surrounding the 34-hour break mandated of drivers each week. Boehner and Cantor say that the new regulations would unnecessarily drive up costs for motor carriers.
"Small businesses have already seen shipping costs rise as truckers have passed along the costs of higher gas prices additional shipping costs which will result from the rule change will further strain small businesses in an environment where weakened consumer demand has already put downward pressure on prices," the letter read, according to the report.
They also say it may actually lead to reduced safety on the roads, since carriers would need to hire new, green drivers to make up for the volume existing fleets could not accommodate.
Both House Speaker John A. Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Eric Cantor wrote a joint letter to President Barack Obama, asking him to stop the rules before they are finalized later this month, The Washington Times reports.
The new regulations would limit the number of hours truckers could be on the road per day from 11 to 10 in addition to modifying the rules surrounding the 34-hour break mandated of drivers each week. Boehner and Cantor say that the new regulations would unnecessarily drive up costs for motor carriers.
"Small businesses have already seen shipping costs rise as truckers have passed along the costs of higher gas prices additional shipping costs which will result from the rule change will further strain small businesses in an environment where weakened consumer demand has already put downward pressure on prices," the letter read, according to the report.
They also say it may actually lead to reduced safety on the roads, since carriers would need to hire new, green drivers to make up for the volume existing fleets could not accommodate.
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