Well, the battle over HOS service changes continues, and it looks like it’s picking up steam. Despite the appeal from the ATA to delay the new HOS regulations until further research can be done, the FMCSA is determined to force the new HOS rules into effect on July 1st.
The ATA appeal is being backed by the National Industrial Transportation League, the Truckload Carriers Assn., OOIDA, the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council, and at least 15 other organizations that represent shippers or the business community in general.
Determined to extend the deadline, the ATA and their allies have reached out to members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for assistance.
In response to their request, several members, including chairman Bill Shuster, signed their names to a letter sent to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Included in the letter are the details of the petition filed by the ATA and a request that the petition be given further review.
But the House Transportation Committee aren’t the only ones stepping up to the plate. Sen. Susan Collins, Rep. Tom Latham, and Rep. Ed Pastor sent a letter to the FMCSA voicing their support for the ATA’s petition.
With all this pressure mounting for the FMCSA to push off the new HOS regulation, one has to wonder when their breaking point will come – and what could possibly be keeping them from acquiescing.
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The hours of service rules are the quintessential example of a one size fits all government program that simply doesn’t work in the real world.
Example: you hit the road at 5 AM, starting your clock. you arrive at destination 4 hrs later. you don’t get a new load until 5 hrs after that, but you take a great nap during that time, so you’re completely refreshed. But the law says you can only drive 3 more hours before a 10-hr break; but you’re not tired enough to sleep that long. You drive 2.5 hrs, find a safe haven and then twiddle your thumbs for hours wait to finally sleep. When you’re legal to drive, You are weary because of the way the HOS rules have messed with you body clock.
It is fine to have a law forbidding carriers to force you to drive more than 11 hours a day but if you can do it safely you should be allowed to if you want to.
JD you’ve hit the nail right smack dab on the middle of the head. Unfortunately the original purpose of the HOS rules, which you alluded to in your last sentence, got lost in the bureaucratic shuffle decades ago.
There’s a vicious circle at work here: by (a) maintaining HOS rules that are disconnected from reality, (b) sleep-deprived drivers get into accidents. So (c) new HOS rules are needed. Repeat.
drivers can drive a period of up to 2 hours beyond the limit if they are driving to get to their destination under certain circumstances.#1 It has to be inclement weather. #2 if you drive this route everyday and complete it in time then all of a sudden there is a massive traffic jam ,you can log the time legally but in any circumstance you have to show why you drove those extra hours. I used to do it all the time and even the D.O.T. said it was alright to do. my point is this,if we can drive those extra hours and not be penalized then why can’t we drive them all the time?
I like how these folks will get all upset over the HOS change, which is actually nothing more than a hiccup compared to most of what comes out of the FMCSA, but these same folks will push for Electronic logs, speed limiters, and other nonsense which has more of a negative effect than the new HOS does. The TCA, ATA, ADSS, and others need to go take a long walk off of a very short pier. It is so hard anymore to find much of anything they put out as being credible. At best, they are a thorn in the side of truckers, at worst they are facsists bent on getting the government to create the trucking world they want.
This is just another typical response from a hangnail of our nations government that is plagued with special interest money. It is as someone else said,” This push for the new hours of service is a solution that is looking for another problem.” I as a driver never wanted things changed in the first place, but have gotten used to the way they are now. This next situation I feel will slow things down to the point that nothing can get done. We as drivers still can’t understand the reasoning that our days clock can not be stopped when being held hostage in dock doors. We all sleep when this is happening, most certainly would be beneficial while we are waiting. Knowing that the shipper or receiver that takes to long for a myriad of reasons, having that clock stopping excerpt would keep things safer than ever.
I have to agree. I’m an OTR company driver practically living on the road, and the more they tighten down these hours of service rules, the more upset shippers and consignees get. I run electronic logs, which if they’re forced on everyone, will create problems.
For example, and this is why I boycott the east coast, most of the places you go to in big cities do not have the capacity to handle a truck taking a 10 hour break, they’re designed to load you up and you go. But many of these places, as you have mentioned, hold you hostage for hours, which if your company planners are like mine, they love to assign you a live load or live unload when you have 3 hours left of your 14. So then you’re stuck with the decision to talk the shipper into allowing you to stay on site or on the street, or go over your hours looking for a safe haven.
If this happens with EVERYONE, first many veteran drivers would leave, and those who are left, will be a bother to shippers and consignees everywhere. And the already problematic parking issue in many regions will only become worse (because those who fudge their logbooks, actually benefit those who can’t because they keep going when others can’t).
So if they keep going through with this, pretty soon trucks will just drop for their breaks on the side of highways and interstates because of the regulations.
Nobody wants trucks anywhere near them (because a few bad apples ruin it for everyone with all the litter and pollution generated), so you won’t see many more truck stops and truck parking lots being put up to fix that problem anytime soon.
why are you pushing a law that the people don’t want, you are suppose to be working for the people not the insurance company’s or the big company’s, driver don’t want this new Law, it will not make thing’s any safer, Don Wolford.
Why is it people always think they know what’s best for someone else? In the first place, most of you that make these rules have never been a long hauler. It’s easy for a company driver because they’re home every night. A long hauler has alot of different situations to deal with that a company driver does not. Nothing against a company driver, but they don’t even belong in the same category as someone that is gone 2-3 or more weeks at a time. Most government workers are people that go by what looks good on paper but doesn’t work in real life. And what about someone in a car, pickup, SUV, motorhome, or whatever that goes on vacation and drives more than 11 hrs. and up more than 14 hrs. just to make their destination. You don’t think that they’re driving tired and slugging down the coffee? I have seen more people behind the 4 wheels that are way more dangerous on the road than alot of truck drivers are. If alot of these 4 wheels would learn how to drive, maybe the semis that they pull out in front of, turn right on red in front of a semi that has the green light, run with one headlight or no headlights, put their brakes on at the last minute because they decide to turn, or pass 1-2 semis going up a hill when they can’t see over it as to if another car is coming—the semi wouldn’t get the bad name from a situation that was probably created by a car not paying attention. PUT THE BLAME WHERE BLAME BELONGS!!!!!
I don’t think you know what you are talking about referring to “company drivers” being home every night. BUT I am a company driver and I am most certainly NOT home every night! I stay out 3- 5 MONTHS and then take a week or two off. SO you should be careful of making generalizations about “company drivers” that are home every night. For that matter I know plenty of owner-operators who are home every night. So put THAT in your pipe and smoke it.
Thast right there will have to be more drivers. And the parking problem will get worse let it go threw and let them see what happens trucks getting hijacket while sitting 30 minets and backedup freaght
I’m a 62 year old fool who’s only been driving big rigs for seven months. I’m about to be written up after my 3rd HOS violation. The first one I’ll take responsibility for although I was told to complete a delivery during my 10 hour break. The second one was due to a horrendous traffic jam and I was 22 minutes over. The last one was when I encountered a a rest stop that was closed and I ended up 5 minutes over my 70 hour clock. Was I a danger to anyone in any of these situations? Absolutely not. I’m with JD. General guidelines may be fine, but if we’re aadult enough to be trusted with a $120,000 truck hauling $200,000 worth of cargo, we should be adult enough to know when we can bend a guideline.
I have been driving trucks since 2003 and the new laws keep getting worse for the drivers and the only way I can see it getting better is all the drivers to shut then trucks down till they give us what we want such as lower gas prices and our own ability to know when we need to stop driving
” … drivers to shut then trucks down till they give us what we want”
Brian, you’ve been driving since 2003? Truck drivers have been calling for a shutdown since 1943. It’s a pipe dream. Drivers can’t agree on anything (ever listen to the CB?), let along get organized enough to stop hauling freight.
With all this pressure mounting for the FMCSA to push off the new HOS regulation, one has to wonder when their breaking point will come – and what could possibly be keeping them from acquiescing.
One word, POWER. you can’t tell the government anything unless you convince them it’s their idea to start with.
I’m all for safety and not having drivers put toothpicks under their eyelids to get deliveries done. But, the problem is that shipper/receiver practices, and a general lack of appropriate parking and access to transit during that 34hr rest, are a drain on driver attention, safety, and health. Hostile dock workers, inefficient loading/unloading practices, deliver it yesterday demands, deceptive broker practices, and so on, go begging for regulation while drivers are shouldering even more risk and responsibility.
well said
You nutshell nailed it, Ernest! Well-written.
I am one of those so called company drivers who sleep in their own beds at night and eat my wifes wonderful food. But I paid my dues with 20 yrs OTR and kept my record clean. Now I am reaping the bennies. I really do feel for you guys who are just getting started in trucking, it will not get any better. Not with that bunch of morons in DC. And Please don’t talk about a SHUT DOWN, I have been hearing that for 30 yrs and it never has and never will happen. Our only recource is to vote in intelligent people who have our interests at not.
All I can say is I have 5 more yrs till I retire to upper Michigan and do some fishing and golfing and try to put all of this BS behind me.Good Luch Y’all you need it.
Hey Colonel! What do you call a land mass that makes up 30 percent of the state but only 3 percent of the population? The Upper Peninsula … or Heaven. Enjoy your retirement as a Yooper! 🙂