Please consider the negative impact the proposed HOS rule changes will have on the entire US economy, not just the tens of millions of transportation workers and their families. • A reduction in driving time and working hours will trigger a need for more inexperienced drivers. As a result, highway safety will surely suffer. • The proposed changes will strike a blow to a struggling economy. Since the industry will have less capacity to haul freight, rates will rise substantially. • Critical components of the nation’s distribution network will be disrupted. Existing routes and distribution centers have been designed around the current Hours of Service rules. • Fewer driving and working hours amounts to a pay cut for truck drivers, at a time when drivers and their families are already struggling. I strongly oppose these changes and urge you to help stop them before they adversely affect the lives of so many Americans.