The U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit late last month rejected a challenge to
the September 2020 changes in the federal hours-of-service rules for truck drivers. Three truck safety advocacy
groups and the Teamsters Union had challenged two of the revisions. The parties argued that FMCSA had
failed to adequately explain its conclusion that the new short-haul exemption was safety neutral with respect
to collision risk and driver health and would not negatively impact regulatory compliance. They also argued
that the agency had insufficiently explained how the modification to the 30-minute break requirement was
safety neutral and would not impact driver health. The parties did not challenge other rule changes, including
the split options for split rest and increased flexibility afforded drivers when operating in adverse conditions.
