ARLINGTON, VA – Drivers are more tired. They’re making less money. The carriers they drive for are less productive and they need more drivers to haul the same amount of freight.  That, according to a new survey, is all a result of the changes to the Hours-Of-Service (HOS) that came into effect July 1.

The survey was conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and released today. The changes to the rules implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) include provisions that limit use of the 34-hour restart and require a rest break before driving after eight hours on-duty.

ATRI’s analysis is based on a survey of more than 2,300 commercial drivers and 400 carriers as well as a detailed analysis of logbook data representing more than 40,000 drivers.

More survey results:

*        More than 80 percent of motor carriers surveyed have experienced a productivity loss since the new rules went into effect, with nearly half stating that they require more drivers to haul the same amount of freight.

*         Among commercial drivers surveyed by ATRI, 82.5 percent indicated that the new HOS rules have had a negative impact on their quality of life, with more than 66 percent indicating increased levels of fatigue.

*       Commercial drivers are forced to drive in more congested time periods, although the FMCSA Regulatory Impact Analysis did not address increased safety risks with truck traffic diversion to peak hour traffic.

*       The majority of drivers (67%) report decreases in pay since the rules took effect.

*       The impacts on driver wages for all over-the-road drivers total $1.6 billion to $3.9 billion in annualized loss.