The Senate’s recent decision to temporarily suspend controversial U.S. Department of Transportation rules dictating the scheduling of rest periods for truck drivers is being hailed by transportation industry representatives and observers who say the rules did little to enhance road safety. Attached as an amendment to the recent $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the amendment suspends enforcement of several Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules that went into effect in July 2013 and altered longstanding “hours of service” requirements for truckers.
