Trucking news and briefs for Friday, April 24, 2020:
Self-driving tech company Pronto asks FMCSA for longer HOS for certain drivers
Pronto.ai, a company that that builds self-driving truck technology, has asked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to allow its motor carrier customers to drive up to 13 hours of a 15-hour period following 10 consecutive hours off-duty.
The waiver, if granted, would apply to carriers using trucks equipped with Pronto’s Copilot advanced driver assistance system, the SmartDrive Video Safety Program and certain other safeguards.
“This unique exemption promotes a significant improvement in the safe operation of CMVs on the highways,” Pronto said in its request. “It requests additional driving and duty-period hours for drivers of vehicles equipped with advanced technologies that greatly mitigate the risks of driver distraction and inattentiveness and assist the driver in maintaining safe operations.”
The company said it believes the request doesn’t contribute to cumulative fatigue “because it does not request exemption from required rest breaks, the requirement for 10 hours off duty between duty periods, or the ’60/70 hour rule.’”
The request is available for public comment here through May 20.
Truck parking provider expanding services
Secure Trailer Lots, a company that offers yearly leases for truck parking in 40 cities across 21 states, is now offering overnight and monthly parking options at its Houston, Texas, location. Reservations for the lot can be made online.
The company says the Houston yard will be the “first of many” STL yards to implement short-term parking reservations.
