Commercial truck drivers who could help shape future hours-of-service regulations are being sought by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The agency is calling on a select group of 18 drivers to participate in a six-week pre-testing phase. This phase is designed to fine-tune two upcoming pilot programs: the Flexible Sleeper Berth and the Split Duty Period.
The participants will be paid $600 for completing all study tasks, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), which is collecting data on behalf of FMCSA. The pre-testing phase is an important step in ensuring that training materials and data collection tools are practical before the pilot programs are rolled out nationally.
The pilots were first announced in June 2025 as part of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s 'Pro-Trucker Package' and support President Trump's April 2025 executive order, Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America's Truck Drivers. This initiative aims to improve the lives and working conditions of American truck drivers through greater flexibility.
The goal of these programs is to test alternatives to the current hours-of-service requirements which have the potential to improve the lives and working conditions of American truck drivers through greater flexibility, while simultaneously maintaining equal or greater levels of safety,
The proposed pilot programs aim to improve truck driver working conditions while maintaining safety standards.
