December 16, 2014, President Obama signed the FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Upon signature, two provisions of the 34-hour restart rule were suspended. So what does this mean?
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:
1. Drivers utilizing the 34-hour restart do NOT have to include two consecutive periods off-duty between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. As long as a driver is off for 34 consecutive hours, regardless of the time of day, the driver can reset the weekly clock.
2. Drivers may take the 34-hour restart multiple times per week. They are no longer restricted to taking the restart only once every 168 hours (or seven days).
Please note that this is a temporary suspension that will be in place through September 30, 2015 while FMCSA conducts a formal study. All other provisions of the hours of service rules remain the same.