OTTAWA (June 13, 2002) — The House of Commons Transport Committee will approve a proposal to change rules governing how many hours a truck driver can work, the Ottawa Citizen reported today.

The Citizen said it obtained a copy of the report’s recommendations which are scheduled to be tabled by the committee tomorrow. The report is not final until it has been tabled.

The proposed changes, developed by a task force of provincial and federal regulators under the auspices of the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, calls for work-rest standards for truck drivers based on a 14-hour on-duty cycle followed by 10 hours off each day. An amendment proposed by the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the Teamsters Union calls for consecutive driving hours to be capped at 13 each day.

Under current rules, drivers may work up to 15 hours (13 driving) and then must log at least eight hours off.

The Citizen said the federal transport committee will accept both the CCMTA proposal and the amendment.

The CCMTA task force on hours of service began work in 1996. Last year, Transport Minister David Collenette asked the federal transport committee to review the rules governing hours of service for commercial drivers, particularly the CCMTA proposal, and allow public consultation on the matter. Hearings have been held over the past six months.

CTA spokesman Massimo Bergamini said he hoped the report “signals that we’re near the end of this saga. We’re looking forward to seeing the report tomorrow. Let’s see what the next step will be.”