Pure safetly?? 2 men in the cab is clearly a distraction or false reliance leaning upon the other guy to stay awake (or keep me awake). Since PTC mandate, how many head-on, rear enders, T-bones have we shaken our head at? Midnight, broad daylight? Its a couple a year.

Now how many of those were single in the cab pax? It's a different dynamic. If this trade is this hazardous and 6 hour cap makes the difference maybe that's what we should be after. How many trains actually only move once the crew is that old and the disp gets serious finally?

Not making ANY comment about the PITA of dealing with a knuckle. We all know those can melt a sub depending upon the crew, circumstances. The point is carriers should have at their disposal efficiencies the trucking industry gets and which the existing record (see first para) supports. You don't think Americas shippers (which the RR industry refuses to move competitively like 90% of their truckload medium haul trade) are going to get zero drivers - or at least pothead drivers - within a few years?. That thing won't stay staffed by enough Americans already!