A QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF SHIPPERS AND OTHERS IN DRIVER COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL SAFETY REGULATIONS

This research report assesses the results of a Congressionally-directed study of the extent to which shippers and others involved in interstate trucking commerce impose delivery demands on motor carriers that may result in commercial driver violations of Federal safety regulations, including the hours-of-service (HOS) rules. Drivers and commercial motor carriers have alleged that they are forced to violate HOS regulations by shippers who impose unrealistic delivery schedules. A series of focus group sessions was conducted with separate groups of shippers, carriers/brokers, independent and carrier-employed drivers, dispatchers and others. The key findings, based on perceptions of focus group participants, indicate that: 1) no one party is totally responsible for and can be held accountable for setting the schedule; and 2) a lack of communication and knowledge about the shipping process among the players contributes to the problem of driver violations. Participants noted other factors that may be contributing to the commercial operators' exceeding the Federal HOS rules: the sheer economic necessity of accepting loads with unreasonable schedules in a deregulated environment, increased reliance upon just-in-time delivery and zero-inventory, and unavoidable scheduling delays.

• Record URL:
  • https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/21000/21000/21067/PB98172448.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Global Exchange Incorporated

  4701 Willard Avenue, Suite 105
  Chevy Chase, MD  United States  20815

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Motor Carriers, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Duke, M E
  • Morris, S W
  • Swinehart, J
  • Weppner, M
• Publication Date: 1997-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References;
• Pagination: 200 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Commercial drivers; Compliance; Federal laws; Focus groups; Hours of labor; Interstate commerce; Just in time production; Motor carriers; Safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Delivery schedules; Scheduling delays; Shippers; Violations; Zero inventory
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00764640
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-MC-98-049,, Final Report
• Contract Numbers: DTFH61-95-C-00077
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 7 1999 12:00AM