While states struggle to meet federal rule deadlines, Congress and the Office of Management and Budget are devising and reviewing new regulations. South Carolina isn't complaining about focus on safety, but the timelines seem too long for victims of truck accidents; with news outlets reporting on driver fatigue and sloppy recordkeeping, the sooner these laws go into effect the better.

A revised hours of service rule, in fact, is with the OMB for a final review. When that office has approved it, the rule will be published for comment. Only then will many insiders know how much of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's original proposal remains in the text.

The trucking and shipping industries are wary of a number of the FMCSA's recommendations. The rules for truckers govern hours of service, time behind the wheel, rest periods and restart times, among others. The agency's proposals taken together seem to be aimed at reducing drive time and making sure drivers are rested before they hit the road.

For example, the agency proposed cutting drive times from 11 to 10 hours per day. Another proposal would require the 34 hours between on-duty periods to include two overnights (midnight to 6 a.m.).

The industry believes the revisions would not have any meaningful impact on safety but would have a negative impact on costs. A representative from American Trucking Associations indicated the organization is ready to go to court if the proposals go through.

ATA's allies in Congress believe the new rule could add $1 billion to the costs of regulatory oversight. They are urging President Obama to pull the proposal and keep the existing rule.

Consumer advocates and accident victims' families are wary of the rules staying the same.

Source: TruckingInfo.com, "Trends to Watch in 2012: Washington Outlook," Oliver B. Patton, Dec. 21, 2011