The U.S. Department of Transportation is steering new initiatives toward the nation’s truck drivers, focusing on their quality of life on the long road. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, under the Trump administration, has propelled two pilot programs forward as part of the broader Pro-Trucker Package, aligned with President Trump's Executive Order 14286, which aims to enforce rules that resonate with those behind the big wheels. These programs will explore the flexibility of hours-of-service laws and sleeper berth options.
At the core of this gear shift is the Split Duty Period pilot program, which would allow truckers to pause their 14-hour driving window for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to three hours. "These pilot programs will help identify real solutions for America’s drivers without compromising safety," said Duffy in a statement obtained by the Department of Transportation. Similarly, the Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot program aims to test the viability of dividing a driver's 10-hour off-duty requirement into periods other than the standard 8/2 and 7/3 splits. The plan is to see, if more varied rest options can reduce driver fatigue and bolster safety for everyone on the road.
These strategies are the newest cogs in the Department's Pro-Trucker Package, a suite of initiatives that includes financial injections for expanded truck parking and upgraded resources for drivers. Secretary Duffy's unveiling of the package earlier in June speaks to a commitment to alleviate the exhaustive one-size-fits-all regulations that have long governed the trucking industry. The call for public comments on the Split Duty Period and Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot programs suggests an open dialogue is being fostered between policymakers and the trucking community.
FMCSA's careful review of public submissions will begin early 2026, with protocol development for the pilot programs. Over 500 commercial truck drivers are gearing up to participate in the study, which will inform future shifts in regulatory scenery. These pilots are just a fraction of the multimillion-dollar commitment that includes cracking down on bad actors in the industry, as stated in the Transportation Department's briefing.
