FedEx Ground Package System has dropped its request that its home-delivery drivers be allowed to operate property-carrying trucks to and from their residences without being considered “on duty” for hours-of-service compliance purposes. FedEx Ground gave the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration no reason for the withdrawal, but the proposal had generated considerable comment.
The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety strongly opposed the request, saying that the increased working hours accrued by FedEx drivers could significantly exceed the maximum hours currently permitted under the hours regulations and would make drivers’ private homes “additional, unofficial terminals.”
On the other end of the spectrum, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association told FMCSA that it generally agreed with FedEx’s request but wanted it implemented by rule change or interpretation: “The situation that FedEx drivers face is indistinguishable from the thousands of drivers who are denied the ability under the rules from using their vehicle for their personal conveyance to get home or find a safe place to park their truck and get rest for the night.”
For more information, go to http://dms.dot.gov/search and search Docket No. 24231.
