Snack World - February 2012 - (Page 22)

Government Affairs Transportation Rules Roll Federal rules address driving time and distracted driving as well as target independent contractors. BY BOB GATTY he federal government is cracking down on highway safety, issuing new rules restricting driving time for commercial truck drivers and banning cell phone use by commercial drivers while operating their vehicles. The action follows a lengthy battle over drivers’ hours of service regulations during which the Snack Food Association (SFA) worked to minimize the impact on member companies’ transportation operations. The cell phone ban is part of an ongoing campaign at the US Department of Transportation to reduce accidents caused by distracted driving. In addition, the US Department of Labor is working on a regulation that could restrict the use of 22 Snack World February 2012 www.sfa.org T independent contractors. This initiative could prove costly for many snack food companies’ distribution operations, and SFA has been collaborating with allied groups to combat this rule on Capitol Hill. NEW HOURS OF SERVICE RULE. In late December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued its final regulation governing the hours of service (HOS) for commercial drivers. Effective July 1, 2013, the rule reduces the maximum number of hours a driver can work within a week by 12 hours, from 82 to 70 hours during a 7-day period. The measure retains the current 11-hour daily driving limit, rather than the 10-hour limit that had been http://www.sfa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snack World - February 2012

Snack World - February 2012
Features
Letter from SFA - 75 Years...Growth, Innovation, Progress
Supplier’s Corner - Time for Change
Calendar of Events
75th Anniversary - The Birth of the Industry
75 Years and Counting
75th Anniversary - An Association is Born
75th Anniversary - A Glance at the Future
Government Affairs - Transportation Rules Roll
Meeting with members of Congress
Acrylamide Update - Strategies for Reduction
SNAXPO 75 - Building Knowledge Blocks
SNAXPO 75 - Exhibitor List
New Snacks
Products & Services
Ad Index

Snack World - February 2012