ARLINGTON, VA – Chris Spear, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the American Trucking Association (ATA) said he was pleased with the results of a U.S. Department of Transportation report that determined there was no advantage to the burdensome restrictions placed on the use of the 34-hour restart by professional drivers.

“The release of this report closes what has been a long, and unnecessary, chapter in our industry’s drive to improve highway safety,” Spear said.

“We knew from the beginning that these Obama administration restrictions provided no benefit to safety, and in light of the DOT’s findings – corroborated by the DOT Inspector General – it is good for our industry and for the motoring public that they will be done away with permanently as specified by language ATA lead the charge on including in the most recently passed Continuing Resolution.”

The ATA has been opposed to the restrictions that has left drivers with limited flexibility when utilizing the restart since the restrictions were first proposed in 2013.   

“Congress repeatedly told the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that rules of this nature must show a benefit to safety and this report clearly shows there was no benefit,” Spear said. “This marks the end of a long struggle, but hopefully the beginning of a new era of inclusive and data-based regulation.”