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The trucking industry these days can be likened to the proverbial watchful child lurking at the top of the staircase, glancing to see if Santa already has deposited the presents under the tree.

With winter moving into the southern states, Georgia and South Carolina have suspended the hours-of-service requirements for truckers hauling fuel.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration now aims to publish its revisions to the hours-of-service rule and a proposed expansion of its electronic data recorder requirement by the end of the year, the agency’s head said last week.

Trucking industry officials said they question whether the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will be able to complete its work on a new hours-of-service rule in time to comply with a court order.

PHOENIX — Trucking officials said they are preparing for what they believe will be a loss of productivity and flexibility when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issues the revised hours-of-service rule.

Compliance services provider J.J. Keller, Neenah, Wis., released its first onboard system for keeping track of driver hours of service, the company said.

Changes to the federal truck driver hours-of-service rule are among many issues trucking executives are likely to focus on when American Trucking Associations’ members gather in Phoenix for their annual meeting, the federation’s chief executive officer told Transport Topics.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The new federal hours-of-service rule due to be unveiled shortly is likely to trim one hour of maximum driving time, and extend the rest period necessary to initiate a new workweek, according to the chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association.

American Trucking Associations asked a federal appeals court to reject the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s request to put on hold a lawsuit that would require the agency to publish rules stating what evidence fleets must retain to verify their drivers’ logbooks.

While the trucking industry waits for the Obama administration to complete its review of a new hours-of-service proposal, executives with some of the nation’s largest fleets warned that a cut in driving time would result in higher consumer costs, reduced efficiency and increased pollution.