Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) will officially begin enforcing the new Hours of Service (HOS) regulations for all commercial motor vehicles that are involved in interstate commerce.

Individual state rules apply, so a trucking company or driver that operates only within one state is not obliged to comply with FMCSA rules. The new changes will mostly affect the long-haul truck drivers and their employers, secondly by shippers and brokers who hire them.

A change in drivers' on-duty and off-duty periods expressed as fewer miles per day or fewer hauls per week worries fleet owners as reduced productivity. From the driver's side, the new rules could lead to a forced reduction in total work hours, with a corresponding pay cut, due to mandatory breaks and the 34-hour restart.

A two-day job may stretch to three days, a factor that could add to pressure on rates. Are truckers really ready for this? What are your thoughts?