December 14, 2011: The Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have set Thursday, Dec. 22 as the date the FMCSA will release the final rule on Hours of Service, a source has told The Trucker. The agency had promised to release the rule no later than Dec. 28 as part of the court settlement between the FMCSA and safety advocacy groups who have successfully challenged HOS rules on three different occasions....

December 13, 2011: Underwriters, trucking companies and industry groups have mixed opinions on the merits and potential impact of a new federal rule prohibiting commercial truckers and bus drivers from using hand-held cellphones while driving. The new rule, announced jointly on Nov. 23 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, will impose civil fines of up to $2,750 for interstate truck drivers and bus drivers caught using...

November 30, 2011: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration expects to complete work on a final hours-of-service rule within the next 30 days, according to a joint report of the agency and plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit. “The final [HOS] rule is under review by the Office of Management and Budget, and FMCSA expects to issue the final rule within 30 days,” said the report, filed Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the...