The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued four significant Hours of Service (HOS) rule changes for interstate drivers – effective September 29, 2020.  

The four new rule changes will improve safety, increase productivity, and increase flexibility for truck drivers:

• 30-minute breaks (§395.3(a)(3)) - Drivers can remain "on duty" for their breaks and not have to take a break until completing eight hours of driving time, rather than consecutive time.
• 100 air-mile exception (§395.1(e)(1)) - Drivers must be done working within 14 consecutive hours. Drivers must remain within a 150 air-mile radius.
• Split-sleeper provision (§395.1(g)(1)) - Drivers must spend at least 7 hours in a sleeper berth, plus another break to reach 10 hours total. Neither rest period counts against the 14-hour limit.
• Adverse conditions (§395.1(b)(1)) - Drivers may extend both their driving and on-duty limits by 2 hours.

The Hours of Service Training: ELD Basics course is designed to help drivers compliantly use ELDs and correctly use the special driving categories of personal conveyance and yard move. This will help drivers understand their role in reducing unassigned driving events, when to edit the record, and the importance of reviewing the record before submission.

• The eLearning course covers the following topics:
• ELD Use
• Driver ELD Expectations
• Harassment Prevention
• After completing this course, drivers will be able to:
  • Discuss when drivers are required to use an ELD   
  • Identify the five items required to be in the cab when recording hours with an ELD  
  • Describe how drivers can reduce unassigned drive time  
  • Explain the process to follow when their ELD malfunctions  
  • Differentiate between coercion and harassment 
• Note: Spanish course will be available November 2020
• Intended Audience: Property-Carrying CMV Drivers
• Regs Covered: 49 CFR Part 395 Subpart B
• Length: 25 minutes
• Languages: English (61332), Spanish (61333)
• Copyright Date: 2020

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