Federal regulators have extended until 2030 a sleeper berth exemption for a large private fleet owner despite opposition from safety groups.
Collegedale, Tennessee-based McKee Foods Transportation (MFT), which has operated under an exemption since 2015, will continue to have added sleeper berth flexibility with the extension approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The exemption allows those who operate in driving teams among the company’s 732 drivers (according to the latest government data) to split their 10 hours of required sleeper berth time into two equal five-hour periods (or periods of four hours and six hours), versus one period of at least seven hours, as is the current regulation.
