When a Driver goes on thier ten hour break it does not alter the fact that they are still responsible for tractor, trailer and load. In a hotel room or sleeper the Driver is still held accountable and could be terminated should happen to equipment or load. Workers in industry have the same responsibilty and accountabilty when they are on the clock but ends at the of the working day.
OTR drivers should be compensated on all hours for the same standred and accountabilty the an industry worker has. Our pay should shift from mileage or percentage to hourly rate when on a ten hour break. This is what the carriers placed on drivers and they should pay an hourly rate. But the hourly rate will have to be minum wage under the Wage and Hour Division. But it will never happen but just a point to ponder.

If you're not off duty, log it as on duty not driving, then try to comply with the hours of service and get your 10 hour break in. I see it more like being "on call". If someone hits my truck, then I'm responsible for talking with the police and such, but I'm not outside directing traffic and playing security guard.

I do believe truck drivers are excluded from that rule.

When I see someone saying we should be paid hourly rate it scares me to death. I wonder do they sit down and think of what will happen if that happens? We would see an increase of cost in every thing. If it hauled by truck the price goes up. Got to pay the shipping bill. The money comes from somewhere. that 1.00 candy bar goes up to 5.00, which it use to be only 0.50.... Or they would no longer have Solo drivers, force teaming, If the truck not stopped why have to pay you by the hour. Pay you to sleep? Think Ford Motor Company pay you to go home and sleep? Not in your life time.

Plus we wonder why all these Companies closes up and run to the 3rd world countries to run? Why pay you 15.00 hr when they can have it done for a very small fraction. Send the work to the Philippines, monthly salary is $200.00.. That what my Wife was paid there as an Civil Engineer. On top of the low wages they work more hours. Leah went to work at 4AM and got off at 11PM 6 days a week and was paid 2500 peso ($50.00) per week. Lawn care there, you would make 50 pesos ($1.00) a day.

And you think alot of Trucking Companies going out of Business now? Gossh even JB Hunt, Swift, and SNI would close the doors, and you would be out of a job. Why? why drive? go to the Truck stop and park and make money while sitting in the sleeper watching TV..

But then again, it maybe good, rate will go sky high, the Larger companies go out of Business, and the O/O would be making a killing. Company driver will be a thing in the past.

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It could be possible.

Pay for driving per hour at one rate.
Pay for on duty not driving at another rate.
Pay for on duty at the dock waiting another rate.
Pay for sleeping in a truck another rate.


These rates could be set in a way that would be fair to the driver and to the company.

Time to wake up from that dream, it would never work. Remember your dealing with Truck Drivers who would sit and watch TV instead of making their drops.

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If the driver is paid 1.00 hour when off duty not driving versus higher for driving, why would they?

You are correct insofar as your statement Re. responsibility to the vehicle & load. The only way a driver is not responsible is if the carrier gives the driver written permission to log meals and other such times as off-duty. When a carrier gives this written permission, the carrier must include in the written permission that the driver is relieved of these duties at the specific times indicated on the written permission. If the carrier does not give that written permission then the driver must log meals and other such times as on-duty, not driving

From a retired federal DOT official

As far as logging legal rest periods; they must be either off-duty, or sleeper berth as required. But don't be confused. You only log sleeper berth when you are in the sleeper berth. And if you drive a day cab you may not log sleeper berth simply because you don't have one.

and sleeping on the catwalk doesn't count.

PSAnderson - just noticed your location. Cool. I went to high school about 50 miles south of you, lo these many years ago. Parents still live there. (or, more accurately, live there again)

Yeah, that fun with the meals is why I almost always eat in the sleeper section - or when I am driving, if the meal is a no-mess meal.

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Keep the big doors at the back!