INDIANAPOLIS — Semi drivers kept their speeds down Thursday, hoping to send a message to Washington.
Truckers formed a convoy and made two-laps around I-465 late in the morning, keeping their speeds at a steady 45-miles-per-hour.
They were protesting federal regulations that are supposed to promote safety on the roads, but are nothing but a headache for many drivers.
An electronic logging device keeps track of how many hours they drive.
Truckers complain about the 14-hour on-duty time limit after they start their day, or the 11-hours of total drive time within those 14.
Exceeding those times can mean a fine.
"It needs to be flexible, you need to be able to stop that clock in the day. Take a nap if a driver is fatigued and needs to go to bed," said Brian Brase of the United States Transportation Alliance. "He should be able to stop, to take a rest period maybe during rush hour and then get up and continue his day without it affecting his work day."
Drivers want two bills re-introduced in the U.S. House and Representatives that would exempt independent companies with 10 drivers or less, and agriculture haulers trying to get their product to market from having to use the electronic loggers.
Thursday's Indianapolis slowdown was the third one in the U.S. this year.
Drivers plan another one next week in Kentucky.
