leep Rules Raise Trucking Costs The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) now monitors the sleep hours and practices of long-haul truck drivers. As of July 1, 2013, the FMCSA insists that drivers Drive no more than 11 hours a day. Work no more than 14 hours a day. Work no more than 70 hours a week. Take a 30-minute break in their first 8 hours of driving. Rest for 34 consecutive hours after completing a 70-hour week, including at least two nights between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m. According to FMCSA, the new sleep rules will reduce chronic fatigue and related crashes, saving 19 lives per year. But the trucking industry says the new rules are too costly and even dangerous. They force drivers to sleep when they're not tired and to drive when they are tired. They also force trucks onto the road at commute times. The $700 billion industry says shipping costs will rise 2 to 6 percent, upward of $2 billion. Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and news reports of July 2013