An enormous number of comments have been submitted to the FMCSA regarding reforming the Hours of Service (HOS) rules for truck drivers. So many in fact, that the FMCSA is extending the public comment period by over two weeks.
As of the time of writing, 2,732 comments have been made since the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) was posted on August 23rd. While no official count has been made available yet, the vast majority of comments seem to come from drivers. And the vast majority of drivers seem to want more flexibility.
Both in our comments section here at TruckersReport and in the formal comments submitted to the FMCSA, drivers seem to want the freedom to make choices about safety and efficiency for themselves. For many, that means allowing split-sleeper time, eliminating the 30-minute rest break, allowing an extension on hours when detained at a shipper or receiver, or any combination of the above.
Initially, the FMCSA planned to end the public comment period on September 24th, but that’s now been pushed back to October 10th. In addition to submitting comments online, you can make yourself heard in person at the following events:
If you have not done so yet, you can submit a comment during the extended comment period online here.
Source: gobytrucknews, truckinginfo, fleetowner, ttnews, DOT, DOT, truckersreport
Flexibility is definitely a must things change for us constantly. With out warning as for safety one solution is to place speed limiters on the trucks to many inexperienced fresh out of school drivers for the power we have now days driving a truck is a constant everyday learning experience
I agree & disagree about the speed limiters. Most trucks on the road only do 65mph. Proper training should be in order. Not giving a driver with 3 months exp. The ability to train a new driver. The first 1-3 yrs are very crucial in learning about trucking,navigating,planning,attitude,efficiency,safety & many others. Safety begins before ever reaching the door handle. It’s a state of mind. Along with common sense & common courtesy. Which neither are very common anymore. Unfortunately. Most companies will hire a new driver as long as they have a pulse & clean record.
I think that if they make the 30 min break optional, but the drivers company can make it mandatory if they see fit to, a driver can extend his/her hrs if detained by shipper/ receiver and extreme traffic or bad weather.
I’ve been driving for over 20 years now. I try to follow the rules as best as I can. But I I have to break them for safety concerns I will.
Hey I’ve seen accident of big companies trucks that run with elds in wich have been fatal accidents.ELDS don’t. All ways stop me from having an accident.I’ve had worked for companies that had told me to take my 10hrs break because I’ve been sitting at the customer for 3 or 4 hrs, so finished your 10hrs break and then started driving with almost no sleep at all.those are the problems that cause accidents.
You are right Fred about companies doing that I’ve also had companies falsify my logs on their computers or change them however you want to put it, it doesn’t matter how you put it
It is illegal But if I driver does that and gets caught he gets put out of service and a fine
There is no amount of regulation or technology that will make up for a lack of integrity.
I have looking to obtaining my CDL but have discovered that Federal interference with the driving hours have made it more profitable to work at a mimmum wage than driving a commercial truck because I get paid for thehours I work rather working for more hours that I am paid for when I am driving a commerical truck This is caused by the over regulation or sometimes mis regulation of the trucking instituted by the government. When the government stops placing un necessary restrictions on truck driving, thus increasing entrance level income, ( greater than 390,00/year after training) it will be worth my time and others to obtain a CDL.
Signed
Waiting
You dont have a CDL? Dont go to work for a bottom feeder and youll do just fine. We are over regulated, true. I make far more than minumum wage as a non-union, company driver. Alotta union guys do very very well also. Do some more reaearch
Not sure about your numbers, but that figure is not indicative of min. wage, as reflected of a 70 hour work week !
💯 James
This is what happens When you have a bunch of pencil pushers, file clerks Creating laws, rules and regulations. They turn something as simple as 1,2,3 into 1,4,12. All that needs to be done is Whenever the truck isn’t moving The 11/14 clock should stop. Truck start moving Clock start up. Clock should only count down when the truck is in motion. PROBLEM SOLVED
Nice try rabbit , does not take any import of consecutive hours of rest !
Es increíble que una máquina le diga a un ser humano cuando dormir sin saber si uno tiene sueño por eso hay tantos accidente hay q dormir cuando la máquina te indique no cuando uno tiene sueño el tiempo cuando a uno lo están descargando o cargando lo cuentan como trabajado cuando uno lo que hace es acotarse a dormir deberían cambiar eso
No tengo un gato muchacho. Es verdad.
I wouldn’t call 2700+ comments “enormous”. There must be over a million truck drivers out here. (Just a guess). I think FMCSA extended the date because they haven’t read enough comments.
Have a Great Day Drivers!!
Exactly right. Disgraceful.
I agree 2700 is a tiny ##. Considering there are over 3 million semis on the road in the U.S.A ALONE.
And another one chirps up out of the Woodside, You should really do a little more reseach
Its actually huge by comparison sake. Most NPRM comment periods for logs and log laws received very few and some NO comments at all. This many comments is unprecedented given the subject matter.
Flexibility need to happen in order the driver have the access on Safety factor while on heavy traffic/construction sites and be able to extend the driving time. The 30 minutes rule should be out is unnecessary time the driver always have
Time to take breaks in different ways.
Still seeing problem with flexibility. Run locally in and out of rail park and due to railroad being delayed, or their equipment breaking down during the lifting of container boxes off stacks or railcars and having to set til repaired. Then after what could be up to an hour, then your 30 minute rest period kicks in and the railroad wants you off their railsite. No flexibility here. Need to be able to stop clock, especially due to accident scenes, weather and road conditions. Waiting out certain unplanned incidents, could save lives and keep people sane.
As a former criminal investigator of 24 years turned trucker, I do not agree with the use of ELDs. You claim that the premise for the ELDs was due to safety, but statistics show that 85% of cars are the ones who cause the accidents. It use to be that driver education courses included a section about driving the road with big trucks, but this no longer is the case. I also can’t tell you how many drivers of cars I watch texting and driving every day or rushing in traffic due to impatience. Another reason I disagree with the ELD is that instead of giving time to truck drivers, you actually took it away. Now drivers are rushing to beat the clock. Now, when they are truly tired, they can’t stop because the ELD hours loom over their heads. Truck drivers are more under the gun than ever before. Furthermore, when it is time to shut down, there is no where to park and there is nothing like being repeatedly woken up by law enforcement being ask to move time and time and time again, even in cases where the truck driver received permission from management to park in a parking lot. Another issue that exist is faulty ELDs with poor customer service. Trucks are being held accountable by DOT for defective ELDs. This isn’t right when they have made every attempt to abide by law and things can go wrong at the blink of an eye. ELDs that lose connection are a huge problem, but that is like asking for wireless cell phones to work everywhere guaranteed. It isn’t possible! CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?! I can’t say that trucking is fun anymore. With over regulation, you have literally sucked the life out of it! You want 18 year olds to take the wheel now, but the fact is I would tell them not to do it. It has now become like being micromanaged, and we all know it is demotivating.
Well said.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Stole my words. *likes comment.
Completely agree!!!
I cant stand the ELD, BUT, the driver is in charge of the truck. He/she CAN stop anytime they want to, screw dispatch. If youre tired, STOP. If youre pressured to run unsafe and threatened, maybe you need a new company that values you and your safe habits. It really is that simple.
No. It is not that simple. I own my truck. I’m leased to an all owner operator company with over 10,000 trucks. If I did what you assert is simple I would lose my lease. If I lose my lease I have toi lease somewhere else. I do it again I have to lease again. I lose THOUSANDS of dollars when I change companies in downtime and learning the new lanes, dispatchers etc etc. It really is quite complicated and expensive to so what you suggest. There is enormous economic incentive to follow the four clocks and run against thm as hard as I can for as long as I can even when tired, stressed and dangerous. My livelihood and family depend on me fighting the asinine ELD until changes are made. Once they give the driver the ability to stop the 14 hour clock at his own discretion then a huge hurdle will be crossed and I can breath again…until then…get of my way I have 4 clocks on the display that I have to beat baby.
I agree totally even though I still use paper logs. Every since the ELD came into effect us guys that can still use paper logs are catching hell! I get inspected more times in a month than I did in a year before
I prefer paper by far but with the type of work I do we had to make adjustments just like everyone else. It sucks but not much we could do about it.
Joe I can’t stand ELD‘s but I disagree with what you said “not much we can do about it” that is BS If we would all stick together as we used to things wouldn’t happen the government did this because they knew they could get away with it and we wouldn’t do anything and they see that so they’re going to keep shoving more regulations down our throats so until that stops we have to deal with it when everyone has had enough and we decide to stick together maybe it will stop but until then we are screwed you can’t get 2 truck drivers to agree that the sun is bright
Damn Sherrie, I want to read your comment over and over again but it’s a painful task…well said.you gathered all our thoughts and summed it up nicely.
Bullseye!
100% agree with all comments except for four wheelers texting and driving I agree partially because they do it a lot but that’s not all I’m seeing them shaving, putting on make up, brushing their hair, a plate of food on the steering wheel eating, texting is a problem but it is relatively new so everyone blames texting just like to sell phones when they came out everyone blamed her cell phones but that’s not the only thing that is distracting as the ones I mentioned above which is all of them but Sherrie you hit the nail on the head
I agree with most of the the comments about the ELD’s. But they operate on a outdated HOS rules & regs that has not keep up with the way the industry has changed. In that note I suggest the following. The 14 & 11 hour rule should be removed and replaced with a total 14 hours. This gives a driver 14 hours to drive and non-driving work. With this rule you would keep the 30 minute break after 8 hours on duty. You will still keep lines 3 & 4. The sleeper birth split should have no choices of how long but start with a minimum of 2 hours to 8 hours in the sleeper. (Example: A driver arrives at a shipper for a pickup. After checking in. The driver backs into the door that they are assigned. The driver gose into the sleeper because they are not required on the dock during loading. After 3 1/2 hours the drivers trailer is loaded. After pulling out from the dock door and getting the BOL a half hour has past. Instead of waiting for 4 1/2 hours to complete their sleeper split. The now can drive with the same hours left at the time the they arrived.) 34 hour restart/reset. WHY DO WE AS PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVER’S HAVE TO RESET OUR HOURS. Remove the 34 hour restart. After a 10 hour break min should be enough to restart our hours daily. I have worked various types of jobs since I was 10 years old. I have yet to work a job that that limits my hours to work in a work week(5 to 7) days. If the changes that I have suggested are maid. I believe that whole trucking transportation industry will benefit.
Nice you try to justify more drive and non drive work which might work if you are a day driver within 250 miles of your yard but most are not ! The 34 hour reset is not for daily hours but for that weeks hours
We surely need a Reform !!
At least they are giving extra time for additional comments on the subject. I left mine when this was first announced. I could go either way on the eld. I run legal on both electronic and paper and run safely and accordingly. The 14 and 30 break seem to be the running theme.
How many drivers in this country? 3 MILLION or so? 2700 comments is not enormous its disgraceful. But keep crying about poor conditions and over regulation everywhere but where it counts. What a joke. Thanks for nothing fellow “drivers”.
How tired are all of you busy worker bees when you get off your 9-5? Consider going for a 6 hour drive when you get off and thats how i feel every day when i get off. 14 hours of driving / manual labor is too much. I’m expected to drive home, take care of household responsibilities, manage appointments and be back to work 10 hours from the second i clock out. At best i get 7 hours of sleep. Perpetually becoming sleep deprived until friday and then i sleep all weekend because of exhaustion. Not all driving jobs are the same. I am not your typical steering wheel holder, why is it fair that my,employer is allowed to work me to death?
Because you let him, his only obvious consideration of you is how much money you can create for him
Then I suggest you find another way to live cause you don’t have the stamina to be a driver
Can’t no piece of electronic equipment tell you when you and your body is rired. I’ve been driving for over 34 years. I’m 54 years old. Since chauffeur license were in efdect. It’s a dad day in trucking. No fun whatsoever. Take the 30 minue,break out for anyone with over 2 years experience.
I would just like to see more “common sense” for current HOS on the LEO side IE, your 14 is up and you are 50 minutes from home, or even if you prefer truck stop B 25 minutes down the road from where your clock runs out at A. Day cab guys get the 16 hour rule exemption which should work for sleeper guys as well, or just allow 2 total hours over for the whole 7/8 day period instead of just a one day exemption, knock Sleeper down to a a 4/6 split and get rid of the 30, anything more then 70 hours companies are just going to start abusing drivers
I am willing to listen now. Split sleeper hours is in my favor as it used to be. Loads on time. Non of that 30 minute i can’t find a place to rest for it and keep forgetting it.
No computer can acount for a persons phisical caracteristics. I luke to sleep a few hours at mid day then run into the morning shut down when i know i have to get some sleep. Im the profesional. I know best how i react to any situation i encounter and constantly think wow what would i do if that happend or how could that have been prevented as i drive by another fatality on the highway. The real problem is that trucking is not just driving a truck then coming back the next day after much needed rest. We live and die in our trucks! Our coworkers are the motering public whose additude vary from carefull and respectfull to down right hazardus. No law is going to be able to work for every situation. Get rid of the clocks. Let the driver dictate the laws to the companys by saying im not working 14 hours+ a day every day and loging just drive and inspection time. Its a joke! Make a law requireing a pay for all we do and you will see some great people come to trucking. Unforunatly thats the problem and those of us who stick around have biger and biger demans put on us till no one can do it and trucking colapses as an industry. And here is the proof. Turover over100% average job length less then 1 year. 80% quit in first six months and dont cime back. 2%of truckers are women because the lifestile is just horable. States desperate for truckers pay companys to come train prisoners to get a cdl. Rule book is as thick as the bible. Lawyers see us as easy miny in law suits. Fix that by makeing truckers tell you why they quit. Not by trying to make us drive more hours or telling us when to sleep. Final thought. Would you read our lawbook and govern your car alow your boss to holer at you when you stop to pee or for something to eat next time you take your familie on vacation? We deal with that and much more. Fix the lifestile and let the profesionals be what we are. Profesional drivers. Thank you and gl. Hung my keys up on dec 18th 2017 now im driving local and canr belive how unsafe the roads are now vs 1 year ago when i left.
STOP THE DAMN WHINING AND ALL THE SO CALL WAYS TO DO THIS JOKE THE FMCSA HAS COME UP WITH!! THE DAMN ELD IS NOT ONLY makes driving more DANGEROUS, IT CAUSES AND CREATES A DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION ON THE HIWAYS FOR BOTH THE TRUCKERS , AS WELL AS THE FOUR WHEELERS!!!
First of all, the FMCAS and the DOT is double dipping the tax payers, the people of the USA. ONE of these entities should be wiped out and only ONE should be in charge of the enforcement of the trucking regulations and safety!! THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY THE TRUCKERS WILL EVER GET THIS SH*T CORRECTED IS TO STOP THE DAM TRUCKS. WHEN THERE IS NO FOOD OR GASOLINE, DIESEL, ELECTRICITY, ETC., THEN AND ONLY THEN, WILL THE FEDS BE STOPPED along with this THIS NONE-SINCE AND THE ELDS! The dam ELD has brought more danger to the hiways than anything ever before. Squash the eld and the new hours of service once and for all. Truckers do not need baby-sitters…they know how to do the job!! The feds need to stay out of trucking until they(FMCSA)learn how to drive a truck first hand!!! Mine are now parked and will stay that way til the changes are made back to what needs to be done in the trucking business. IF NOT, I’LL SELL ALL OF THEM. Put some rules/laws on the 4-wheelers that effect their way of life and their ability to make a living, must drive back and fourth to work, then see how fast this ELD sh*t and all the NEW LAWS will evaporate and some reality will return to the trucking industry! This must be done…OTHERWISE, SHUT THE DAMN TRUCKS DOWN NOW AND STRIKE!! USE SOME GUTS AND GROW SOME BALLS…STRIKE! YOU WILL SEE JUST HOW FAST THE FEDS WILL CHANGE THEIR LAWS AND COME TO SOME SENSES!!!!! DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR TRUCK BEING REPOSSESSED…hell the finance companies don’t want them back…so they will WORK WITHTHE TRUCKER-OWNER till the strike is over!! BEEN THERE, DONE THAT FOUR TIMES IN THE PAST, IT WORKS!!!!
JamesDeanFisher-smallfleetowner/copywriter
My thought is this why 11 hours?
Is it to piss us off… If they allowed just 1 more hour a day we could make 28 to 2900 miles from like LA to Georgia or Sacramento to Bronx…
I think They know this and purposely keep us driving an extra day to cover last 100 or 200 miles just to regulate us..
Just let us drive the whole 14 with a pretrip and break thrown in… That would be even better
Been at damn shipper waiting to be loaded for 12 hours, not even at door ridiculous
I think they should put the time driving back to the way It was 10 on and 8 off it work better and drivers were not pushed like they are now On this time clock and if the driver can get his load deliver on time he gets the blame let’s go back to the good all days for some
How can I EASILY find out whether or not you published my submitted-weeks-ago, lengthy comment?
The 30 min break kills me a lot of times I have to take one early or something happens then I have to take another which then takes driving time and I loose that driving time cost me a lot of time and money if you dont feel good you can’t stop because of the clock stopped in traffic clock still running something needs to give to help us haven’t stopped accidents maybe caused a lot of stress and health problems for drivers who want to make the loads safe and on time
The HOS should be eliminated and driver sign a paper at start of day saying he won’t drive truck if he is sleepy.
Increase equipment inspections ten fold and start giving speeding/tailgating tickets.
Do what I did,send your brother, who works for cash at your business back home, to get his cdl.let him continue to work for cash back home.hire him as your co driver,on paper.log out as you, log in as him,run all you like.I have pre pass etc.keep my weight right, truck clean, clean shave,hair cut,take a shower every day,nothing on my dash board,a sticker reminding them I run ELDS under my door and haven’t had a problem. But I’ve only got a red light at a weigh station a few times since 99,and only one time did they ask for my log book. I walked in empty handed every time and asked what can I do for you or whatever. A couple times they asked for insurance cdl and physical card, a couple times permits and once for my log book, which I went back to the truck and brought to them.I think dot officers have their own form of profiling. You can’t look like you’ve been up for two or three days whether you have or not, can’t have a filthy truck with the bumper hanging off and stuff,can’t have two years worth of cigarette packs and empty coffee cups piled up on the dash because if you look like you’re unorganized and low on funds they figure you’re bound to have an expired permit or cutting corners and missed your insurance payment or something they can ticket you for. When they see me they figure I’ve dotted all the i’s and crossed the t’s and it would be a waste of time to pull me around. Boy are they ever wrong. And if they do I made enough money running whenever I want that it really doesn’t matter, I’ll pay whatever it takes to be on my way or hire some kid fresh out of school for a little bit of nothing if it ever gets to that point, to just log in so I can go.I wouldn’t even care if they could drive because they wouldn’t be there for that anyway. I could pay someone a grand a week to use their license and still make money. But I hope I never have to.
We should be able to drive 20 hours a day !! Anyone see a problem with that ? How about Companies pay drivers what they are worth and give them schedules that are easy to meet legally !!! Instead we have drivers wanting to double log , cheat logs , etc whining about HOURS. WTF is wrong with that picture.
There were over 4000 comments when the OOIDA contested the elogs but FMSCA didn’t take those comments into account when they decided to keep elogs on the books.FMSCA doesn’t care about the guys in the trenches,us the drivers! We have so much power but we let them walk all over us because we haven’t the guts to stand up to them and say:”Enough is enough you bureaucratic parasite penpushers,you ve destroyed this industry with your overregulation and dumb rules,you’re fired!!” Wake up drivers! We risk our life day in day out,who are these clowns trying to regulate us to extinction?!