Two years after the FMCSA officially started work on reforming the Hours Of Service (HOS) regulations for commercial truck drivers, the final rule has been issued. Four out of the five provisions that were laid out in the proposed revisions were implemented.
Announced on May 14th, the new rule won’t go into effect until 120 days after its publication in the Federal Register. In the meantime, safety advocates and some within the transportation industry will likely be making their displeasure known.
Here are the final revisions:
- The revised rule will allow a little more flexibility for the 30-minute rest break. Now even if they are on-duty, a trucker can count non-driving time towards their 30-minute break.
- Drivers who were looking for more flexibility on how they split up their sleep schedule got only a little extra wiggle room. Drivers will be able to split their required 10 hours off duty into either an 8/2 or 7/3 split.
- The exemption for adverse driving conditions has been extended by two hours. This will allow drivers up to a total of four additional hours of driving time on top of the 11-hour and 14-hour clocks.
- The short-haul exemption will allow for driver’s maximum on-duty time to increase from 12 to 14 hours. Additionally, the distance limit which qualifies a load as ‘short haul’ has increased from 100 air miles to 150 air miles.
This means that the final proposed change, allowing a 4-hour “pause” on the 14-hour rule, has been abandoned.
According to the FMCSA, the final rule was created after taking into account all of the public comments that were submitted on the topic.
“This new final rule will improve safety for all motorists and increase flexibility for America’s truckers,” DOT Secretary Elaine Chao said. “This has been a deliberate and a careful process provided by the direct feedback we’ve had from truckers, carriers, safety advocates, law enforcement, and concerned residents and citizens.”
Large carriers seem satisfied with the changes, with both the ATA and TCA thanking the FMCSA for their work. TCA issued a statement saying that they were “very pleased.” ATA Chairman Randy Guillot issued a statement praising the rule as a “good example” of how government can craft a rule that “benefits the industry, specifically drivers, and maintains highway safety.”
You can view the final rule here.
Source: FMCSA, truckinginfo, fleetowner, overdrive, ttnews, freightwaves, prnewswire
I like the idea of the change. on the revised HOS.
Thank you.
This does absolutely nothing but all you to work more with no flexibility. Only a small percentage uses split sleeper.
If you cannot stop the clock this is worthless.
What’s the point of ooida again? Oh that’s right fight so hard in Washington, so we don’t have to pay $12 on a New York hut sticker that is double taxation already. No one has the trucker’s back, we have to cover our own asses.
As rates are dropping, and now fuel prices are going back up. Demand is low, and what a perfect storm to kick out the independent truck driver.
No need for a 30 minute break, no need for stupid split time sleeper berth, most of us don’t drive within a hundred fifty miles, most of us are regional and just beyond that.
What a bunch of BS and time.
Those with a functional brain use split sleeper berth as an option to increase availability.
Completely agreed… This is utterly worthless without being able to stop the 14hr clock for the amount of rest that YOU NEED, not the computer!!
Final ruling; Drivers are STILL penalized for resting, it can only meet some VERY NARROW GOVT REQUIREMENTS !!
AGREE 100%
Yes indeed.
Only a small percentage is still left out there that know how to use split sleeper birth
Problem with the industry now. Small percentage you speak of is getting smaller.
The new larger percentage doesn’t want, or listen to the mentoring from the smaller ( generally old school) percentage.
That’s becuase yall just cuss them or talk down on them I would not listen to yall either
Yep take the 14 hour rule out it will be done
Get rid of people who don’t have experience
In over the road.Making rules. Everyone on ELD. let the drivers stop there clocks. Get off the road in rush hour. See if that would be safer, then pushing a driver into that mess. Fighting against 14 hour clock. I’m done. Been driving 16 years.
This does absolutely nothing but all you do is work more with no flexibility. Only a small percentage uses split sleeper.
If you cannot stop the clock this is worthless.
U got it now u can work 16 hours. A dd’s ay for freeee
If I wasn’t already Discombobulated as it was, I sure as heck am now !!
I agree dazed & confused how this helps. Only confusion.
Agreed if a driver can not stop the clock it’s a TOTALY worth less. Just another way for d o t to shaft the drivers besides truck s run by hub miles can you drive a straight line from Miami flu to Houston Texas across the gulf of Mexico if you can I one to see you prove it there is no straight line one any type of trucking .looks like the know nothing brain dead idiots are at it again nothing changes except the way the federal government screws o t r drivers. Like the stupid e l d. What a joke. eld s do not work if you have to keep paper logs in your truck in case the elf apps stop working as far a s hard wiring a e l d. Easy to do but they don’t always work.
Why dont all the drivers form a REAL union/unions?
Problem is Truckers are a diverse bunch. You get 3 truckers together, you will get 4 different opinions. I am a Unionist, but I simply and unfortunately do ot see even a close enough amount of solidarity in truckers for them to be able to unite enough to come close to standing up in enough unison to change things for the better. I think it sad and short-sighted.
A total waste of 2 years and thousands of dollars to come up with nothing! Our government at work! All I can say is, Shameful!
Totally agree !!
People who don’t drive trucks, making truck laws.. kinda like a grocery clerk telling a surgeon how to do an appendectomy.. oh lawdy
And the only rule which would have been useful and made our jobs easier has been abandoned.
Of course.
Typical idiot lawmakers.
Agreed
Agreed
YEP
Same as always. Fancy talk resulting in nothing.
Bingo… We knew this would be a farce
ELD:
The de-facto ankle bracelet surveillance device for HARD WORKING truck drivers.
We need mommy government to dictate every aspect of our private life while we operate these trucks, given the unique working conditions of regional and long haul trucking, because we live in these trucks for days at a time. I challenge any idiot from the federal government DOT office to come with me, and live on this truck for just 15 days, and live under the conditions of this stupid HOS rules. Send ANYBODY from DOT to live and operate a long haul truck for 15 days, ruled by this electronic clock and then report back.
Better yet, don’t want to go over the road, send him home for 15 days with an ankle bracelet on a 14 hr clock, and live by those rules.
As I said… That’s how stupid and government dependent we have become.
There are no adults left in the room anymore ( Us ).
This govt it’s too big for its britches, needs to be checked…the old school American way
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT SIR
Lots of talking,…But they didn’t SAY anything. Nothing has changed.
These final rule changes. Did not help the truckers. We are hampered by the dot. If you are hauling produce or meat
Products. These loads are very time sensitive . The stores want fresh stuff on their shelves
Teaming in truck your sleep schdules get thrown out of wack rough roads,. And constant shake while driving take toll. So big daddy government screwed the driver again
Been and done that
Why would we log a 30 min off duty break on duty? I thought the reason for the 30 min break was to take a ‘break’ from all driving and on duty not driving duties. Now we’re gonna waste 30 minutes a day on duty and not gain anything. Seems like the more drivers complain about flexibility in the hos, the worse it gets
Yep by logging the 30 on duty your burning on the 70 . Some say I can fuel and get my 30 in at the same time . I can fuel in 10 or less so again I’m burning on my 70. This does no good . As long as big brother looks over us it’s only going to get worse. …..
To the ones who say they can log 30 while getting fuel are the ones who sit on the fuel island for 30 minutes and hold everyone up. Some really need to think before they insert foot in mouth. When fueling takes little time vs 30 break.
You are 100% right
Gail Morra, I believe you’re missing the point of this one. I agree the changes are useless but this particular one makes sense. Instead of the 10 minutes for fuel as on duty and then an additional 30 off for the stupid break, you can now count the 10 on duty minutes plus another 20 off duty and you have it satisfied. This one does make sense even if it doesn’t help much.
Agreed… Once the government gets their hands on anything it’s destroyed
You can still take an off-duty break if you want, no one is stopping you from that. They’re allowing some non-driving time to count toward a break also. So while you are fueling and then inside grabbing coffee and a donut you’re fulfilling the 30 minute break.
Yep just park at the pump and shut er down for 30! Let em line up behind ya , Ef em! SMH
Always a good idea keeping the fuel lines clogged up for 30 minutes while “someone” is getting a donut
NO DRIVER SHOULD BE ON A FUEL ISLAND 30 MINUTES FOR ANYTHING!!!
Preach. It’s infuriating. Fuel lanes are for . . . fueling. The rest of the asphalt is for phone calls, eating egg rolls, and beating a dent into the top of the shifter. Everyone IS still beating dents into the top of the shifter, right?
Loading and unloading at the dock is “On Duty” time. How many times has everyone sat for more than 30 minutes in a dock “on duty”? The 30 minute break during”on duty time allows you to log your 30 minute break during that dock time instead of logging the entire time on duty and then logging Your 30 minute break outside of and in addition to your on duty dock time. Regardless, to run efficiently, competitively, and lucratively, you still must understand the system enough to manipulate your driving time, your on duty times such as dock times, your fuel stops, tolls, etc., etc. Respectfully, if you do not understand the system enough, the current hours of service rules or any changes regardless of being beneficial or not would be pretty much irrelevant to one’s bottom line.
This was probably rushed through so the crash data would not be yet be available during this time – when the HOS has been lifted for essential services carriers. Or, maybe they already have the preliminary data and that’s why, after all this time, it comes out NOW.
Exactly and I guarantee that during this exemption they’re not going to be able to show any crash data from the truck side that shows an increase….100% guarantee if you look at the crashed data during the exemption it’s going to show the opposite, the crashes will have decreased because of not needing to run on the ELD
I agree with all of the above.
A complete waste of time everyone involved. I would like someone from the decision making board to explain what has changed!!!!
Trucking one big joke!!!
What a JOKE. There was one problem that needed to be fixed. “Time spent at a shipper or receiver should not count towards your work day when you are asleep in the bunk of a truck.” After all this they totally left out the most important one. Ridiculous!!!!
Agreed, No surprise that drivers are still being penalized for resting!!
AGREE
at least my 9 minutes P/Twill count on my 10 hrs break
No it won’t
…wow what a job ,they need tow years for this ? who payes for that? tow years and still nothing to make the job easyer,maybe some one should talk to one truck owner operator ,no moer than 15 min they will know all the changes ,but I think all people “working ” on trucking rules they have to mauch education to make simple job easy ….
Stop getting drunk before you type
We used to get up eat breakfast truck till noon or so stop eat dinner ( lunch for city people ) truck till early evening eat supper ( dinner for city people ) truck a little more and shower go to bed. Made a good living or for some like myself made really good money. Now get up RUN in grab some junk shove it down on the way to the truck run for 7 or 8 hrs.take 30 minute break while eating a candy bar and some tater chips and a soda. Bitch about having to stop drive like hell till shut down. Bitch cause you can’t run more and harder. Not for me. I’ll still still run the old way. Still make money (under the if it don’t pay don’t haul it rule). Not burned out, still happy, 51 years still truckin. Oh yes you can get a job drivin a tractor for a farmer, no log books, you can and probabaly will work 22 to 24 hours without going to bed then you’re happy.
All I want is yard move back while in the sleeper and off duty even with the 5 mile limit and I would be happy
That’s your company that won’t give you yard movement or personal converyce not the government
guaranteed the crash data during the Corona virus exemption is going to show that trucks were safer without using the ELD and HOS !!!
Actually they were safer because no cars
Unfortunately, some truckers (and trucking companies) can’t be trusted. Just like speed limits, rules are for a reason…safety.
It sucks for all of us…but there will always be those who will complain no matter what.
Can you imagine what it would be like if SWIFT trucks and some of these other mega carriers were suddenly NOT governed at all?? Drivers would go whatever speed they wanted. Same applied to these HOS rules. They would go crazy with this, too…and just like going too fast, they’d kill someone driving by staying up way too long or being forced to by their dispatcher.
I realize some of the frustration but does the average person really need to work more than 70 hrs a week? Nobody should want to be driving next to someone who has worked 100 hours and is ready to pass out at the wheel.
Use common sense drivers. Be safe. See you down the road.
The government does not regulate how fast swift or any other mega carriers trucks go. Any truck can go as fast as the speed limit allows if the carrier allows it.
The only thing they are gona listen to is a total shutdown it should have happened at the beginning of the virase its the only way drivers will get real change stop working for two weeks
Dream on you can’t get two driver to agree on the color of a truck
I completely agree! But we would need a voice. You couldn’t do a shut down then have 3 million drivers making a bunch of different demands. It would sound like a bunch of loonies just escaped from a mental institution. But it definitely needs to happen, it’s the only way at this point because those idiots making and passing these ridiculous laws, including these towns that don’t want us parking anywhere, think that we all are just a bunch of dumb ass pushovers. Now, is a great time still because the country is trying to open back up. All I know is if we don’t so something very soon, then nobody has the right to bitch on here, the CB, or social media. So basically, it’s a put up or shut up kinda deal.
Blah, blag, blah
If you did that the public would turn on us and the government would declare that truckers are evil and untrustworthy and they would nationalize our industry.
So basically nothing would change.
14 hour clock will continue to force tired drivers to keep driving because the clock keeps ticking. Somehow that is safer than a rest break and 14 hr clock pause??
You are letting them force you to run no one else
No one can force you to drive tired, that’s the driver’s stupidity. If I’m tired I stop, simple.
You have the keys.
No but those appointment times can
I learned right off the bat, I, as the driver, am 100% responsible for running safe and legal. I do not cede that to anyone and I will walk away from any company that tries to coerce me into not being safe or legal. If I am sleepy, it doesn’t matter why, how or when, I’m gonna find a safe place and get off the road. If any company has a problem with that, they are simply not worth working for. Period, there is no argument, I am 100% responsible for being safe and being legal. As I driver, I will give my best effort to get a load picked up and delivered on time, but will never do so at the expense of my being legal or safe.
Being legal and being safe don’t always mesh. I choose safe and convenient over legal any day. Example, Only an idiot goes 55mph all the time in California. Most of the time cops see you going over 55 they don’t bother you if you are being safe.
At least they consulted with the general public and the concerned citizens. Those would definitely be the best people to ask.
You mean like those who drive around in cars pulling out in front of those BIG SCARY TRUCKS THEN HITTING THE BRAKES WHILE LOOKING IN THE REARVEIW TERRIFIED THAT THEY MAY GET REARENDED? Or the car that doesn’t comprehend what merge with traffic when coming off a get on Ramp means? Or doing 5/ 10 miles under the speed limit driving in the left lane and not about to move over?
Beam me up scotty there is no intelligent left here. This always been a out government getting control of the trucking industry and shutting down the owner operators from being able to dictate to the industry as well as the government their demands. All I want you to think is “convoy” the ATA and the like are just as bad as the government. More power and more slavery. Welcome to the new dictatorship.
America land of the sheeple and enslaved. And we the people allowed it. And now we bitch about it. Grrrrrr ugh……
Please scotty beam me up I’m done here.
Does not stop companies or brokers from treating drivers under the very description of human trafficking. Companies will abuse this, 17 hrs of work often with little or no detention pay, computer says you have time to drive. Also this does not address shippers/receivers holding you for hours wasted from your clock, spent 28 hrs at a dock, supposed to be on duty the whole time.
a total shutdown? Just like the times in years past, that will never happen. Because you got cut throats and big companies running the freight anyway. If every company, owner operator and all truck drivers could make a total shutdown, it would work. Everyone knows a shutdown will never work because the Keating backstabbers.
Alot of these regulations are in place not because of the driver or the public’s safety its because of the way the government classifies transportation as being agriculture so they dont really have to pay us what we are worth. How much are other licensed Purfessions making? And they all have to get overtime I’d be living on the hog if I got overtime.
Interesting that they remove some restrictions, and let us work a longer day, like many drivers asked for, and still most comments are negative.
Just no pleasing some people! Also the 30 minute rest, now being allowed to be on duty, if we so choose, is awesome!!!
Why not allow for 20 hours driving and 24 hours on duty? Why do they keep restricting us?
The hours of service rules have nothing to do with safety. They were implemented by legislators who know nothing about trucking after being pressured by special interest groups who cared nothing about trucking.
Then it got worse when the government/special interest groups got the ATA on their payroll so that the ATA would sell out the drivers by backing the BS statistics that were used to recommend the changes to HOS.
There is nothing safe about forcing drivers to drive when they need rest. There is nothing safe about making everybody impatient because the ELD keeps eating your workday and there’s nothing you can do about it. Tricks are going faster and drivers are more impatient, irritable and rude because of the ELD.
As economy oriented as Donald Trump is I can’t understand why he allowed ELD’s to be implemented when they have cut back the miles by up to 25% ,which cuts back the cargo and negatively affects the part of the gross national product produced by the trucking industry.
All that was needed was to order DOT to connect to the truck ECM to make sure it hasn’t been driven more than 70 hours per week and that the drivers paper logs coincide. That was the original plan when trucks became computerized at the turn of the mellinium. A driver should be able to get that 70 hours any way he needs to as long as he doesn’t drive more than the 11 hours allowed per day.
I don’t need Big Brother or anybody else telling me how to drive and controlling my income!
Elaine Chao of the FMCSA seems satisfied with the modified H.O.S. Rules. If she’s happy, what more could we ask for?
My life is complete knowing I work under rules dreamed up by Fed bureaucrats who’ve never done the work I do for one second.
I’d like to remind everybody that the hours of service rules are unconstitutional.
Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.
If we have not been given the opportunity to vote directly for these hours of service that we are under, they are unconstitutional.
They are being forced upon us against our will and better judgement.
“The gubmint!” “The gubmint!” Y’all need to get you heads out of your tails, and stop letting millionaire radio personalities brainwash you. As it is, our employers are wielding their power over us, not just through the coercion of employment, but by financing political campaigns. Those changes to short haul drivers, is a huge give away to the companies. We must take control of the government, as labor, and wield our power over the employers.
I’m surprised anyone expected anything other than more lunacy from the government. More BS, less freedom. I’m glad I sold my truck and got out.
How in the hell can Elaine Chao think she knows better, how Drivers, Owner-Operators, and Trucking Companies can operate the safest and most efficient ways possible ?
These new rules were a waste of 2 years of time, of everyone involved.
Common sense has been ignored.
Rule change didn’t do anything for us except now I can eat while I fuel or get loaded/unloaded! More work for free! Split sleeper really doesn’t help us if you can’t stop the clock.
I see more companies paying a set salary or a guaranteed wage plus bonuses and here In California more truckers getting paid by the hour. Where else can you work 70 hours a week and make a 40 hour a week living? It’s a choice we make!
I hear people say go on strike. Park em. Yadda yadda. But when was the last time drivers collectively worked to improve safety? Need to see for yourself? Go to safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and look up any carrier. Heck look up your own. See the litany of infractions. Not having a required inspection, no medical card, brakes out of adjustment, drugs and alcohol, unauthorized passengers, unsafe driving, HOS violations, speeding, driver doesn’t speak or understand English, the list goes on and on. Police yourselves and stop acting like a bunch of victims. These mean ol’ rules are the result of too many truckers being human garbage, which sucks for the good ones.
Typical bureaucracy. They spent 2-years deciding on things that really should have taken 2-hours.
It reminds me of when I worked the Federal Government. The hoops I had to jump through just to upgrade RAM in an existing computer in their inventory to transcode video from a Sony Cam – which they also had to approve – for a program THEY implemented. And after I spent a few hours preparing to present the case to the management that would ultimately give us the green light, she had NO F ING IDEA what I was talking about – and she was the manager of I.T.
The good news is, she couldn’t really say no because she didn’t know anyway, so if she said no and we challenged why, she’d look like a total and complete moron. 😛
can’t believe how govt. can ruin a worker’s home time..Truckers work too long to satisfy what? Is there life after a day’s work? Most normal life people work 8-10 and go relax there carcass a while..
The most important rule of the proposed package was “abandoned” the ability to pause your clock was CRUCIAL to helping drivers avoid daily catastrophes!! The 30min break change is good, the split sleeper change is good, the exempt thing is moderate…but the pause of
14hr clock was more important than all of them wrapped together times 5!!!!
Total waste of time. The FMCSA is a total waste of time and a joke. These new HOS solve absolutely nothing. They didn’t solve anything and will never solve anything because they are an ignorant and incompetent group of clowns.
After all this COVID-19 crap, they should take all of the published HOS regulations and set them ablaze. We pretty much proved we can behave with little to no supervision. Besides, they missed the mark completely. Pausing the 14-hour clock was the whole purpose or need for this HOS reform anyways.
All you all had to do before the HOS and ELD came out was to run fully compliant for 2 months straight yes make less yes be late yes piss ppl off including dispatch and brokers shippers receivers and DOT but run fully compliant showing the system is broken …speed limit, Hos everything to the book and all this would of never happened not it has now everyone is upset just like the TRICKING BOZO said ignorance and apathy many tried to enlighten drivers through the course we are headed warnings were given but with the me me attitude I seen this coming many years ahead now practicing time management is the key because there is no reverse in law making something to think about
Campaign to skip the DOT scales across country,at least for one week and those scumbags from DOT and FMCSA will be shutdown,FEARLESS
You think skipping the scales, will shut them down? LMAO ! They will shut you down, not you shutting them.
You gravely misunderstand who has the power. Trust me it is not you!
Wonder if he ever heard the term circular firing squad? I hi k this would qualify
All you “truckers” do is get on websites and internet load boards such as this and complain to each other about what is wrong with this industry, yet you DO NOTHING about it too help yourselves. This has been going on year after year to no avail. STOP f*ucking complaining to each other and take a f*ucking stand for something once in your life. If you choose to sit idle and do nothing then just accept what they shove down your throats. Stop preaching to the choir already. Y’all sound like broken records. That’s my 2 cents.
Soooooooo? Much ado about nothing. I really do hate this government and the unelected, unaccountable, bureaucrats that pi•• in our ears and call it rain.
I leave comments occasionally on topics discussed here, but not one has been a complaint. Next month will be 34 years trucking for me, I loved it day 1, still do today. This industry has treated me exceptionally well!
What I wanna see is some wiggle room before your eld puts you in drive. So you arrive at shipper wait like 4 hrs for a door, then back in (log book starts again) and then your done after 2 or 3 hours. Then obviously you gotta move out of the dock. Now you gonna sleep again for 8 hrs! Makes no sense.
Deejay, get a Garmin brand, and just idle along in 1st gear. Mine doesn’t activate until about 4 mph.
How about making the hos log always editable so errors can be corrected when the Qualcomm crashes. If your looking for correct logs and not just fining truckers.
With the ELD, it’s going to take A LONG time until anyone can use these new rules. Any change takes over a year to make it functional in the ELD system and it’s not even near that stage yet.
The problem is drivers wages haven’t kept up with inflation/ drivers just flat out need to be paid fairly and a hole lot more , not work more hours, that’s the real issue!!!