Hours of service rule for team drivers

EZX100, the sad truth is that some regulation generally becomes too much regulation in the eyes of some. However, the regulations wouldn't be needed at all if the carriers had simply treated their drivers as human beings from the beginning (an issue many carriers have even with regulations).

Know one way to identify an old driver (and good luck finding one, they're getting pretty long in the tooth these days)? Look for burn scars between the first and second knuckle. Old drivers used to smoke cigars because the cigar would stay lit for a goodly period of time. If the driver fell asleep behind the wheel, the cigar would burn down to the flesh and wake the driver up. This was back in the days before the Interstate system was more than a dream.

And lets face it, trucking is one of the most abusive industries in the country (right up there with food service). Dispatchers try to push drivers to violate the laws, companies run blatantly unsafe equipment, drivers always pushing to make a livable paycheck on too little money per mile. Why we put up with it, I'll never understand. Heck, I left the industry four years ago and keep coming back to remind myself why.

Regulation is critical to protect the drivers from the abuses of the carriers who care more about profit than they do about people. And if its not the carriers, its the shippers, the receivers, and the brokers demanding schedules that would be difficult for an airplane, much less a truck. I'll agree we need to place some limits upon how much regulation is needed, but I will never agree that all regulation needs to be struck down.

 

When I ran team the best way is each driver gets a 12 hr period in order to drive their 10 to 11 hrs. This gave time for fueling, pre-tripping and other necessary stops. Running like a 3 am to 3 pm for one driver and 3 pm to 3 am for the other driver. This way you can get regular sleep, food and showers. You also split up the early morning hours in which it can be very tough to drive.

 

No ... Because an 8 hour break only extends the 14 hr clock and the remaining hours of the 11. A driver would only have 3 hours of drive time and 6 hours on their 14 for the second shift.

 

Recently my company put me and my team driver in a truck with only one sleeper berth, which means if we have to wait several hours to load or unload one of us has to either sit up or sleep in the floor. I keep saying it is a safety issue and that they have to provide a truck with two beds, let alone a health issue if one of us is trying to sleep on the floor. Is there a ruling on this?

 

find a new company

 

So I should just trust you that I need government to restrict my liberty for my own good. Gotcha.

The guy who favors government using force against me is warning me about how horrible it would be if I were free to engage in a mutually voluntary transaction like an adult instead of being protected from myself like a child. Nice try. No "big corporation" ever threatened to put me in a cage for not doing what they wanted.

This political philosophy is nothing new. It's been touted by authoritarians for centuries. And accepted by sheep for just as long. I'm neither and would like to think most truck drivers aren't either.

/political rant.

 

This is exactly how my wife and I run. Have done it this way for years. However, since moving to Landstar last year we run a whole lot less for more money. So we kind of run team for spurts rather than all the time.

 

I have a question, and I am hoping someone can help me..... I team drive with my boyfriend and he stated that we are doing 10 on and 10 off, I asked him, I do not understand what he means by that, and of course he won't explain to me and calls me stupid..... for what I understand I am supposed to work my entire book and then he takes over and does his book... that is what I learned in school, so please I am asking for help on the question, please help

 

Don't worry. When you are sufficiently tired you will get rested.

We just burn out our logs as a team. works out to 22 hours a day you can roll that truck A day being midnight to midnight. When you both burn up the 70 hour week and then sit for a day or so, that is the chance you need to catch up on the laundry etc.

 

If he's calling you stupid for asking questions, you need to leave his sorry ....
He's not worth your time.