Truckers passing though Mojave may soon be able to go a few extra miles without stopping for a mandatory rest break.
GOP lawmakers recently added a rider to a spending bill blocking some rest period rules previously established by the Obama administration. These rules would have required truckers to take two nights off after a 75-hour work week. The proposal came under fire from all sides, as industry officials said that it was too restrictive and safety advocates said it didn’t go far enough. Both these groups are pressuring Congress to enact mandatory statutes, especially as driverless vehicles continue to develop.
As for the future of safety regulations, former National Transportation Safety Board head Jim Hall predicted that it would be “an open season on safety in this coming Congress.” But most in the trucking business believe that many of the regulations imposed serve little useful purpose and are excessively burdensome.
PSP Scores
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the watchdog that supervises trucker safety, and over the past eight years, emboldened agency officials have aggressively rolled out various rules designed to curb issues like driver fatigue, inspection violations, and reckless driving. The government uses all these metrics, and more, to compile a PSP (Pre-Employment Screening Program) score.
Bureaucrats base this score on the last five years of crash history, driving records, and other relevant data. Law enforcement groups provide nearly all this information, so it is often inaccurate. For example, if first responders issue a lane violation ticket at a crash scene but a later lawsuit reveals that the other driver caused the crash, the truck driver’s PSP may still show an at-fault collision. An attorney can review PSP and other federal safety scores to see if they matched up with what happened in court.
Getting Legal Help
The aggressive attorneys at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-349-9300 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-349-9755.
Mojave traffic tickets sometimes artificially inflate PSP scores, making it hard for truckers to find jobs. To keep your score lower, call Bigger & Harman.