WASHINGTON – At a hearing on new hours-of-service rules for truck drivers, Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations, said these new regulations could hurt small businesses.

He explained that in December 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed rules on hours of service limits for non-passenger carrying trucks. The changes included reducing the maximum amount of driving time from 11 to 10 ours, limiting drivers to one 34-hour restart in a seven-day period, adding a requirement for 30-minute breaks, and limiting the operating window to 14 hours.

He said these rules could impact small companies by forcing them to hire additional drivers and purchase more vehicles, further adding to congestion, diesel emissions, and more wear on highway infrastructure.

The current proposed rules change to the hours-of-service requirements is posted on the FMCSA’s website here.