Hollywood’s truck drivers often spend more time waiting than driving, and that’s one reason why the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers wants them exempted from the proposed hours-of-service rules.
In fact, when it comes to drivers who transport film equipment and sets, production schedules make it almost impossible for drivers to comply with the guidelines proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said the California-based alliance, which voiced its position in a July 19 letter added recently to the public comment docket on the safety reform proposal.
FMCSA’s much-criticized proposal divides the nation’s 3.2 million truck drivers into five types. It then specifies the number of hours that can be driven each day for each category. Under the revised rules, drivers would be allowed to count the loading and unloading of trucks as part of their on-duty time.
But entertainment industry drivers are different because they are not permitted to “perform any work other than driving” as part of a contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said the alliance.
For the full story, see the Aug. 14 print edition of Transport Topics. .
