WASHINGTON, D.C.- President Obama has signed the 2015 appropriations bill, suspending the more restrictive restart hours of service (HOS) rule that came into effect in July 2013.

The pre-2013 34-hour restart rule is now officially in effect, which means drivers are no longer required to take two periods off between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. during their 34-hour restart.

The change is effective until the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) finishes a study on the rule or until September 30 of next year, whichever comes later.

Next, The FMCSA must make the announcement that the 2013 restart is suspended and the older restart is in effect.

Steve Keppler, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, warned that police may not be able to adjust quickly to the change in HOS rules.

Inspectors need training, and the software they use for roadside inspections and compliance reviews must be changed, he said. He predicted that carriers will see uneven implementation of the new provision, which will affect data quality and CSA scores.

The agency stated it is working to ensure that the 12,000 state and federal motor carrier enforcement personnel are prepared for the change.

The future of the restart appears to depend on what the FMCSA study finds.

For more stories on this topic, see:

• ATA thanks Congress for ‘common sense’ on reset; 
• 34-hour restart rule suspension in Senate hands; 
  
• Restart rule could be suspended.