Semi truck fatalities are on the rise. According to the NHTSA, truck fatalities rose by 4% from 2011-2012. In the same time span, injuries rose by 18%. Meanwhile, Trucking Companies enjoy a loophole which does not require them to pay their drivers overtime, so they push them to their limits in order to maximize profits, using threats of reduced pay/termination for being safe. Federal Hours of Service have the unintended consequence of punishing drivers for taking a nap when feeling tired.
We request an executive order that does the following:
1)Allows sleeper berth periods of 2 hours or more to be excluded from the 14 hour rule
2)Removes the overtime exemption from trucking companies
3) Requires trucking companies to pay drivers per hour for on-duty and driving time.