DOT IG Releases Report on Driver Detention Time and Impacts

In January 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General’s Office (IG) released a report titled: “Estimates Show Commercial Driver Detention Increases Crash Risks and Costs, But Current Data Limit Further Analysis.” The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015 (FAST Act) directed the FMCSA to issue regulations that cover the collection of data on delays experienced by CMV operators before the loading and unloading of their vehicles. The act also directed the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to report on the effects of driver detention.

Accordingly, the DOT IG conducted this audit to (1) assess available data on delays in motor carrier loading and unloading, and (2) provide information on measuring the potential effects of loading and unloading delays. In addressing their objectives, they also reviewed FMCSA’s plan to collect data on driver detention.

The DOT IG found that accurate industrywide data on driver detention does not currently exist because most industry stakeholders measure only time spent at a shipper’s or receiver’s facility beyond the limit established in shipping contracts. Available electronic data cannot readily discern detention time from legitimate loading and unloading tasks and are unavailable for a large segment of the industry.

The DOT IG estimated that a 15-minute increase in average dwell time—the total time spent by a truck at a facility—increases the average expected crash rate by 6.2 percent. In addition, they estimated that detention is associated with reductions in annual earnings of $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion for for-hire commercial motor vehicle drivers in the truckload sector. For motor carriers in that sector, the IG estimated that detention reduces net income by $250.6 million to $302.9 million annually.

FMCSA’s plan to collect data on driver detention does not call for collection or detailed analysis of reliable or representative data, and the Agency has no plans to verify the data that motor carriers and drivers would provide. As a result, the data may not accurately describe how the diverse trucking industry experiences driver detention, which would limit any further analysis of impacts.

The DOT IG made one recommendation to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), that it collaborate with industry stakeholders to develop and implement a plan to collect and analyze reliable, accurate, and representative data on the frequency and severity of driver detention times.

To view the full report, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact TIA Advocacy at advocacy@tianet.org or 703-299-5700.