CEO: Outdated HOS Rules, Not CDL Mills, Are the Real Problem

91-Year-Old HOS Rules Are the Real Problem, Not CDL Mills, Trucking CEO Says

The recent shutdown of 110 trucking schools by the U.S. Department of Transportation is intended to reduce fraud in the commercial driver licensing process. But Zach Meiborg, owner and CEO of Meiborg Companies, argues that the crackdown is addressing the symptoms of a deeper problem: outdated federal hours-of-service regulations.

Meiborg said fraudulent or dishonest operations are able to gain a competitive advantage because the current rules limit how long compliant carriers can keep drivers moving. Companies that disregard hours-of-service requirements, he said, can operate more miles, reduce their cost per mile and offer lower freight rates.

“When they say they shut down 100 CDL mill schools, great, but you’re only addressing the problem after the problem’s already occurred,” Meiborg told The Center Square. “The problem is that there’s a massive incentive to cheat.”

The comments come as federal officials focus on commercial driver training schools suspected of helping applicants obtain licenses improperly. The action against 110 schools is part of a broader effort to reduce fraud in the trucking industry and improve the integrity of the CDL system.

Meiborg does not argue that fraudulent schools should remain open. Instead, he contends that enforcement against those schools does not address the economic pressures that can encourage other forms of noncompliance once drivers are on the road.

“The core of the problem is we have a 91-year-old rule,” Meiborg said. “We’re in a decreasing-cost industry, so the more you run, the more your cost per mile comes down.”

According to Meiborg, carriers that follow federal hours-of-service rules can be placed at a disadvantage compared with operators willing to exceed legal driving or on-duty limits. He said some of those operators may run roughly $1 per mile cheaper than compliant companies because they simply cover more miles.

“The problem exists because we have outdated regulations being enforced by modern technology, which has caused a massive incentive to cheat,” Meiborg said.

Hours-of-service rules are intended to limit driver fatigue by establishing when drivers may operate and when they must be off duty. Electronic logging devices and other technology are used to track compliance. Meiborg’s criticism is that the regulatory structure does not adequately reflect how modern trucking works or the scheduling needs of today’s drivers, while technology makes violations easier to identify and enforce.

Rather than eliminate federally required rest, Meiborg supports a simpler system. He suggested a schedule based on 14 hours on duty followed by 10 hours off duty.

“I’m not saying by any means we should get rid of the federal mandated rest break,” he said. “I’m just saying we need more simplicity around hours of service.”

Meiborg said a less complicated system could make it easier for compliant carriers to compete with companies that currently gain an advantage by violating the rules. His argument is not that safety requirements should be weakened, but that the structure of the rules should be reconsidered.

He also connected hours-of-service policy to the shortage of truck parking. Under the current system, Meiborg said, a truck may be legally moving for about 8.75 hours per day, leaving more vehicles to seek parking when drivers reach their limits.

“If trucks can only operate on the road legally for 8.75 hours per day, we have a lot more trucks demanding parking,” he said.

Meiborg believes that allowing a different work-and-rest schedule could reduce the amount of time trucks spend stopped and, in turn, reduce demand for parking. He estimated that such a change could eliminate the need for about 400,000 parking spaces without requiring new construction.

That estimate reflects Meiborg’s view of the potential effect of a revised schedule, rather than a federal projection. The broader parking shortage remains a daily concern for drivers, who can lose time searching for safe, legal spaces when their available hours are running out.

Meiborg said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is doing a good job of listening to drivers and trucking companies as it considers regulatory changes and enforcement policies. However, he said listening and discussing the issues are not enough without action.

“What we’re lacking is just simply the gumption to actually do something,” he said.

The debate highlights two separate but connected issues for professional drivers and carriers. Stronger oversight of CDL schools is aimed at ensuring that new drivers are properly trained and qualified. At the same time, questions remain about whether existing hours-of-service rules provide a workable framework for drivers and carriers operating in a highly competitive freight market.

For now, federal officials are moving forward with enforcement against schools identified as part of the CDL fraud problem. Meiborg’s position is that lasting improvement will require more than removing bad actors after violations occur. It will also require examining whether the hours-of-service system itself creates incentives for companies to avoid compliance.