Livestock haulers get temporary waiver from hours rule provision

taking a stab, but the reason for not stopping the truck for 30 minutes isnt for the driver, but for the animals. summer heat... animals sitting in a big metal container.... they'll be hamburgers and chicken tenders before they get to their destination

 

The heat puts strain on the animals they are hauling. While on the trailers, the animals have no access to food and water so they are shrinking (losing weight) and this puts their lives at risk the longer they are on the trailer. When hauling livestock the drivers need to get them to their destination and unloaded ASAP. If they take too long the animals will start dying on the trailer. Regardless of if they need a break, their cargo just simply doesn't allow for it. Heat makes the animals shrink and stress more.

 

Considering buying a chicken and a cage. Throw it in the back of the box with my truckload freight, write up a BOL showing it's an LTL and the chicken is my last drop. Now I'm a livestock hauler, no break needed.

 

That assumes they were taking the breaks to begin with.

 

The break isn't necessary. Never had been never will be.

Hope this doesn't become a its not fair they don't have to take it so I shouldn't have to argument. Just be thankful that someone doesn't have to comply with this foolish rule.

 

There is no need for a break. What the powers that be are trying to do is tell you truck driving has less than 20 years left- so we are going to shrink your pay and hours down to such a point you will see that it is better to find something else to do to put food on the table.

 

The mandatory 30 min break was not gonna happen with me anyway. The book would have shown it, but it would never happen.

 

If the trucks stop, the trailers don't get air through them and get hot, as long as the truck stays moving, air will go through the trailer. Plus, it's hard on the animals to unload and reload them.