**GAO-11-198**                      Published: Jan 26, 2011. Publicly Released: Feb 18, 2011.                  

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## Highlights

The interstate commercial motor carrier industry moves thousands of truckloads of goods every day, and any disruption in one truckload's delivery schedule can have a ripple effect on others. Some waiting time at shipping and receiving facilities--commonly referred to as detention time--is to be expected in this complex environment. However, excessive detention time could impact the ability of drivers to perform within federal hours of service safety regulations, which limit duty hours and are enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This report discusses: (1) How regularly do truck drivers experience detention time and what factors contribute to detention time? (2) How does detention time affect the commercial freight vehicle industry? (3) What federal actions, if any, could be taken to address detention time issues? GAO analyzed federal and industry studies and interviewed a nongeneralizable sample of truck drivers, as well as other industry stakeholders and FMCSA officials.

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## Topics

Transportation

Commercial motor vehicle operatorsData collectionEmployeesFederal regulationsFreight transportationFreight transportation facilitiesIndustrial facilitiesInterstate commerceMotor carriersMotor vehiclesRequirements definitionSafety regulationShipping industryTransportation industryTruck drivers

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##### The Effects of Delays in Loading and Unloading Trucks

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