Bush wants truckers in for the long haul.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Feb. 4--Highway safety groups oppose the idea. Federal courts have rejected it. But the Bush administration, once again, wants to consider letting big-rig drivers stay on the road for 11 hours straight.

Under a regulation in place for more than four decades, truckers can drive for 10 consecutive hours. The trucking industry has argued that is too short a stretch, especially when traffic and weather hamper a haul. An additional hour on the road would let truckers make up time and make more money, proponents say.

Highway safety groups say truckers driving longer stretches would make the roads more dangerous. They contend 11-hour shifts would become an industry standard, driving truckers to stay on the road even if they're tired.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration --- the government agency that enforces the rules …