On Wednesday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed changes to regulations governing how long truckers can stay on the road. The agency says the changes are all about improving safety by giving drivers more power to decide when they drive and when they rest.

The would-be rules don’t change how long drivers can stay on the road—still limited to 14 hours on duty, with at most 11 actually driving, followed by at least 10 hours off. Instead, they address how drivers handle mandatory breaks.

Today, a trucker must take a 30-minute break after eight hours on duty, which can include waiting for a vehicle to be loaded or unloaded, pumping diesel, or handling paperwork. One new rule would change that to a 30-minute break after eight hours of behind-the-wheel driving. Another would allow a driver to essentially pause the clock for up to three hours on the 14 hours they can spend on duty. That way, they can spend seven hours on duty, rest up for three, then get back on the road for another seven—as long as they then take the mandatory 10-hour break that follows the 14-hour stretch.

Though the FMCSA must wait for the 45-day comment period, proposed rules don’t tend to change too much after they’re published, Osiecki says. And for many truckers, that’s great news. As the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said it on its website: “It’s about freakin’ time. Literally.”

Source-WIRED Magazine: https://www.wired.com/story/truckers-gain-more-freedom-techs-watchful-eye/