The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is planning to study fatigue and safety performance in the wake of Congress suspending the 34-hour restart rule and is looking for fleet drivers willing to participate.
The FMCSA study will compare the safety performance levels and fatigue of fleet drivers who take less than the two rest periods with drivers who do take the two nighttime rest periods in the 34-hour break.
Fleet drivers who participate will be compensated, as well as carriers who may lose revenue because of the study. The study will also cover the cost of installing the necessary equipment in fleet trucks. During the study, drivers will adhere to their regular routes and the study will gather data for a total of five months. The data gathered will be used to analyze driver health, operator fatigue, the level of alertness, and safety critical events, according to the FMCSA.