Rules Controlling Drive Time For Truckers To Be Relaxed

OPAL, Va. (AP) – The Transportation Department is poised to relax the federal rules that govern how many hours a day truck drivers can be behind the wheel. Interest groups that represent motor carriers and truck drivers have lobbied for revisions they say would make the rigid “hours of service” rules more flexible. The trucking industry has developed a strong relationship with President Donald Trump, who’s made rolling back layers of regulatory oversight a priority.  Highway safety advocates say the contemplated changes represent a dangerous weakening of regulations and will result in truckers putting in even longer days at a time when they say driver fatigue already is such a serious problem. They point to new government data that shows fatal crashes involving trucks weighing as much as 80,000 pounds have increased.