U.S. Proposes New Rules For Truckers (FDX, UPS, YRCW)

The Obama administration wants to give truckers more time to rest, but hasn't decided whether it will have drivers spend fewer hours each day on the road, writes Reuters. The Transportation Department said last week it was proposing new regulation to rewrite driver mandates for the first time in more than 60 years. "We are committed to an hours-of-service rule that will help create an environment where commercial truck drivers are rested, alert and focused on safety while on the job," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. The American Trucking Associations trade group, which lobbies on behalf of the industry, said the proposed changes were too complex, would cut industry productivity and would be "enormously expensive for trucking and the economy." Companies affected include FedEx FDX, UPS UPS, and YRC Worldwide YRCW. Trucking companies are concerned about costs rising due to the reduction in hours.