Trucker asks FMCSA for 5/5 sleeper berth option

More split-sleeper berth options would allow truckers to be better rested and find a safe place to park, a truck driver told the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

In a notice published in the Federal Register on Thursday, Feb. 23, Matthew Killmer, a truck driver from Taylorsville, N.C., asked the agency for an exemption from the hours-of-service regulations that will allow him to split his sleeper-berth time into two five-hour periods.

According to the notice, Killmer said the exemption would allow him to be a “more alert and well-rested commercial motor vehicle operator and allow him to find a safe place to park.”

Starting in September 2020, FMCSA allowed truck drivers to split their 10-hour rest period into such combinations as 8/2 or 7/3.

However, Killmer says he and other drivers should be able to make it a 5/5 split if they determine that’s what works best for them.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association also asked the agency for more split-sleeper options late last year.

OOIDA told FMCSA this past September that it should launch a split-duty period pilot program and add 6/4 and 5/5 splits to truckers’ options.

“These splits would increase flexibility, allowing drivers to increase their productivity without compromising safety,” OOIDA wrote. “In fact, these splits would help to increase both safety along with health/wellness. The truth is that not all drivers are able to sleep eight or 10 hours at a time. Many OOIDA members have commented that they struggle to sleep more than six hours at a time. Thus, allowing them to split their sleeper time more efficiently will allow them to gain more adequate rest, resulting in increased alertness and better driving performance.”

OOIDA petitioned the agency in February 2018 for the initial hours-of-service changes that took effect in 2020. Now, the Association wants drivers to have additional control over whether or not they believe it is a safe time to drive.

“Allowing drivers to pause their 14-hour clock would give truckers greater flexibility to rest when tired and avoid congestion, adverse weather conditions, or other factors that make driving unsafe,” OOIDA wrote. “The split-duty period would not increase maximum driving time, maximum on-duty time, or decrease minimum off-duty rest periods between shifts. Additionally, drivers would have more chances to get sufficient rest and would not be as stressed to beat the 14-hour clock. This would result in positive outcomes for driver health and highway safety.”

How to comment

The public will be given 30 days to comment on Killmer’s request. To do so, go to the Regulations.gov website and enter Docket No. FMCSA-2023-0013.  LL