Almost 500 truck drivers and other industry stakeholders have already provided comments to the FMCSA in response to the agency’s request for detention time information.
The comment deadline is September 9, so truck drivers still have time to add their two cents’ worth on the issue.
“A recent study by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General found that better data are needed to fully understand the issues associated with driver detention,” the FMCSA notice stated.
The agency is asking stakeholders to answer seven questions:
- Is data currently available that can accurately record loading, unloading, and delay times?
- Is there technology available that could record and delineate prompt loading and unloading times versus the extended delays sometimes experienced by drivers?
- How can delay times be captured and recorded in a systematic, comparable manner?
- Could systematic collection and publication of loading, unloading, and delay times be useful in driver or carrier business decisions and help to reduce loading, unloading and delay times?
- What should FMCSA use as an estimate of reasonable loading/unloading time? Please provide a basis for your response.
- How do contract arrangements between carriers and shippers address acceptable wait times? Do these arrangements include penalties for delays attributable to a carrier or shipper?
- What actions by FMCSA, within its current statutory authority, would help to reduce loading, unloading, and delay times?
As of Sept. 3, 488 comments have been filed.
To submit comments, you can enter Docket Number FMCSA-2019-0054 at the Regulations.gov website or mail Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation; Room W12-140; 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE; Washington, D.C. 20590-0001.
