INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS
FMCSA Announces Final Rule on Commercial Driver
Hours of Service Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced an
FMCSA final rule that revises the hours-of-service (HOS) safety requirements for commercial truck drivers that goes into effect on July 1, 2013. FMCSA said the rule would mainly affect drivers who regularly work more than 70 hours a week, such as long-haul truckload drivers. Te HOS final rule reduces by 12 hours the maximum
number of hours an interstate commercial driver can work within a week. Under the old rule, truck drivers could work up to 82 hours within a seven-day period on average. Te new HOS final rule limits a driver’s workweek to 70 hours. Truck drivers also cannot drive after working eight hours without taking a 30-minute break. Te final rule retains the current 11-hour daily driving
limit. FMCSA will continue to conduct data analysis and research to further examine any risks associated with the 11 hours of driving time. Te rule requires truck drivers who maximize their weekly work hours to take at least two nights’ rest when their 24-hour body clock demands sleep the most — from 1 to 5 a.m. Tis rest requirement is part of the rule’s “34-hour restart” provision that allows drivers to restart the clock on their workweek by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off-duty. Te final rule allows drivers to use the restart provision only once during a seven-day period.
‘Love the School Bus’ Celebrates Dedication of Bus Drivers
Tis month, thousands of school children nationwide will make
Valentine’s cards for someone extra special in their lives — their school bus drivers. To thank the men and women who transport more than 26 million students to school each day, the American School Bus Council (ASBC) is encouraging students, parents and teachers to “Love the Bus.” Te program is celebrated the entire month in school districts
nationwide to raise awareness and appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of school bus drivers who safely deliver children to and from school on 480,000 buses, the largest and safest transportation system in the country. On Feb. 21, ASBC will partner with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a Love the Bus event in Northern Virginia. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) attended last year’s event at an elementary schoolk in Takoma Park, Md. “We hope that the event will draw a lot attention and get people
thinking about the importance of the humble yellow school bus,” said Bob Riley, ASBC member and executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS). “Te school bus is an essential part of our education system, and we want to make sure everyone ‘Loves the Bus.’”
Durham School Services Employees
Donate Time to Texas Reading Program Te general manager and safety training supervisor for Durham School Services’
contract in Brenham, Texas, are giving back to the local community by reading with el- ementary school children. General Manager Cheryl Tiemann volunteers every Tuesday for the Brenham Independent School District’s HOSTS reading intervention program at Alton Elementary School. Safety Training Supervisor Eddy Minze does the same every Tursday. HOSTS invites community volunteers to spend time each week with students who are having difficulty reading and encourage them to become better readers.
“Sometimes we read to the kids, and sometimes they read to us,” said Tiemann. “It’s very rewarding to know you are making
a difference in their lives.” Te HOSTS program motto is “To Succeed You Must Read.” Tiemann and Minze are part of Durham’s “Adopt-a-School” pro-
gram, which encourages employees to give their time to their communities and the schools they serve. Teacher Fabian Swartz said volunteers like Tiemann and Minze help make the HOSTS program a success. “Our students are going to be helped in reading because of these volunteers’ dedication to our school,” added Swartz. Durham has provided transportation service to Brenham ISD since 1995.
18 School Transportation News Magazine February 2012
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