And he used to be able to do it without hindrance.
Given the new provisions in hours-of-service rule, however, Curl can’t pull his truck on the road until 5 a.m., leaving him no choice but to deal with the Seattle traffic.
Curl offered this story as one of several points in his testimony to Congress Nov. 21 at a House Small Business Committee hearing on hours-of-service, saying the new hours regulations have taken away the flexibility truck drivers need to get the right amount of rest, avoid traffic and stay on schedule after being delayed by shippers.
Curl spoke at the hearing on behalf of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, saying the trade group supports the TRUE Safety Act bill introduced into the House this month. The bill would delay the hours-of-service changes until the Government Accountability Office can study them and FMCSA’s methodology further.
The rule changes also do more than just slow him down in heavier traffic, Curl said, as they could cost him as much as $4,000-$5,000 a month.
He also told the panel that no one in trucking makes safety a priority the way drivers do, as an accident and the costs associated with it can mean the end of a one-truck business.
