Truck driver Hours of Service provisions are being altered later this month. One update that didn’t make the cut was a proposed ‘pause’ button on a driver’s 14-hour clock. Now, FMCSA is proposing a pilot program that would add just such a button for commercial truck drivers.
The Split Duty Period Pilot Program would give some 200-400 drivers the ability to interrupt their 14-hour on-duty time with one off-duty period. The break would need to be at least 30 minutes, but no longer than three hours. At the end of a day that includes such a ‘pause,’ drivers must take at least a full 10 hours of off-duty time before driving again.
The goal of the program is to find out if allowing drivers to pause their 14-hour clock would provide greater flexibility for drivers and reduce regulatory burdens without compromising safety.
The proposal is very similar to the ‘pause’ provision that was proposed in an early draft of the HOS reform rule that will be going into effect at the end of September. One of the reasons that it was removed from the final rule was that there was concern that carriers would coerce drivers to use the ‘pause’ for non-restful detention time, tiring them out and effectively lengthening the number of hours they work in a day.
“FMCSA acknowledges that the potential benefits of increased flexibility could be undermined if the pause is used by carriers, shippers, or receivers for purposes other than the productivity and safety of drivers,” reads the notice in the Public Register.
The public comment period will be open until November 2nd, 2020.
“FMCSA wants to hear directly from drivers about the possibility and safety of an hours-of-service pause pilot program,” said acting FMCSA Administrator Jim Mullen. “The agency remains committed to exploring ways to improve safety on our roadways, while increasing flexibility for truckers. We encourage drivers, motor carriers and interested citizens to review the proposed pilot program and provide substantive public comments for FMCSA to review.”
You can make a comment on the proposal on the Federal Register Website.
Source: truckinginfo, fleetowner, overdrive, overdrive, ttnews, freightwaves, FMCSA
Every single time the D.O.T. changes the log book i loose more home time
I’m so tired of these clowns in Washington I’m ready to leave the job I’ve done for 25 years
The latest proposal takes more than it give the split sleeper rule is a joke
I love the split rule. It’s the best thing out there. I hate the mandatory 30 min break. I still get home several days a week most weeks. Without the split I’d be screwed all the time on making deliveries and I’d be sitting a day. Maybe you should learn how to use jt effectively
Hey Steve good for you, but you know your a jerk off for telling another driver that they “need to learn”. You know nothing about their situation.
Pay all time houely
What’s the best way to use it ? I’m wanting to better myself in every way possible.
You sound like rookie 😆
If being home is that important why even bother becoming truck driver. Even local drivers away from home for hours smh
Home time is very important because we have s life outside of trucking
Lol I pulled a 582 mile day in a day cab just last night and got home at 5am. Started at 1pm. Long day in a day cab
I agree that the split sleeper is a joke!! I bet nobody thats involved in making that rule would like to do it. We should tell them,you go home and just split your sleeping every other night and I garuntee you they wouldn’t do it very long,so what gives them the right to even suggest it for us drivers.
Ive already told my company to not ever expect me to do it ,so don’t ask me too.
Maybe 30 yrs ago when I started driving and I could stay up all night and then go to work the next morning. That was a long time and so for me the things that could stay up all night then don’t work like that anymore. I need my 8 hours of sleep then a bowl of Wheaties start going again.
I agree with you Sir every time they make a change in our HOS of service they need to realize most companies and dispatchers will find a way to make it harder on the driver just to squeeze a little more work out of us!! Personally,Im ready to give it up and finish my working years driving a forklift or something but that just don’t pay as well.
Its a safety issue especially if you live load and unload I use the 8/2 quite often so I’m able to make my delivery appointment. We’ll supposedly there’s less sleepy driver’s on the road instead packed into overflowing truck stops like sardines.
You damn right
I drove motorcoach for 26 years and I was responsible for up to 56 lives that sat behind me. Government is killing truckers jobs by playing with their hours and most have never driven a big rig They are pencil pushers. Drivers, they get paid by the mile. The driving hours for a truck driver should be the same as it is for a coach driver. Accidents with any driver comes down to driver error or training. . Government keeps messing with truckers hours you wont. have truckers and it will be your fault. Put truckers back to driving 10hrs a day, 8 hours off with 24 hrs off after 6 days straight. Truckers hours would be easier to calculate, control plus you would have less turn over and better drivers cause they would not quit. Don’t take it from me. I only trained and drove all over this country for 26 yeRs the other thing to keep in there us an extra hour for accidents or traffic it gives the trucker that extra hour to make up drive time that was lost.
I agree with the 10 hr day and 8 off but I’m out for weeks at a time, what am I supposed to be doing on the 7th day with 24 hrs off?
I have a comment on not just government playing with hours but your physicals are too harsh, I can understand try I,g to weed out unhealthy drivers but it took me two years to be able to get my CDL back cause I could not foot over foot. I could do everything else but for that they failed me. You have overweight drivers that struggle to get into a truck and I walk 4 miles a day, have great blood pressure and great health otherwise so much of your physical requirements are out of line you lose great drivers because of this. I don’t care who you are. Every o me has something wrong. Change your guidelines on your physicals
I hope this doesn’t happen. No reason to work longer hours for same pay the split sleeper only works if you don’t use your drive time . I burn 9+ hrs a day , the split wouldn’t do me any good
I’m actually surprised how many people say things like that..it wouldn’t help me so don’t make it legal..so for us that it may help? We don’t matter
I really don’t care, I quit OTR once and for all, no one tells me when or how much I can drive, for the ones who stay on the business all I can say is, sorry, the only way to fix this problem is quitting the business, park your truck or tell the owner of the truck to drive it him self and see how much he likes been a slave of the system.
Since there is NO meaningful measure of SAFETY, all of this is just mental …
Amen
it makes sense it gives you more flexibility to your day and getting home at the end of the week . but drivers have to quit being stupid tell your company detention is payed at $25 an hour for every hour detained no negotiation . boycott a few carriers put them out of business this will become the normal remember there is a driver shortage if we dont take advantage of this then we deserve what we get.
Make the shipper/reciever hand the driver a check/cash for $20-25/hr when BOL done and then let truck owner still charge for vehicle detention,that issue be solved in 6 weeks
Wishful thinking
You’ll have to double that just to cover my costs
Just my opinion, but if you REALLY want to stop “driver abuse” related to NON DRIVING time we should get paid the Industry average hourly pay for all hours NON DRIVING, you know loading, unloading, waiting, fueling, repairs, etc.
When companies are having to fork over $17 – $24hr for every NON DRIVING hour things will change.
So they realize carriers will only use it to force drivers into longer tiring days and they decide to do it anyway?
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help. ”
-Ronald Regan
Amen Brother the great one also said “ The government is not the solution it is the problem “
If you are here to help GET your NOSE 👃 out of something you no nothing about. Only drivers that experience the day to day life on the road should know when to shut it down. One damn size don’t fit all. Most of the accidents are cost by 4 wheelers and the government know that. Government is not problems solvers they create the problems. Drivers holds ONE STEERING wheel at a time we are not responsible for everybody.
The only way this works to the benefit of the driver, is if dock time is mandated to be paid, and that mandate is enforced by the Department of Labor with the same zeal as the minimum wage law is for other types of employment. Putting the onus on drivers takes all the teeth out of any restrictions placed on carriers, so there is no doubt in my mind that this will be used to log dock time, whatever the DoT claims it’s intent to be.
I knew all of that crap that they said was going to happen wouldn’t we get screwed every time the HOS comes up and Trump said we’re going to get rid of regulations I’ll believe that when I see it that little girl they’ve got in charge it’s not going to get rid of nothing. Maybe President Trump needs to look at these reviews and maybe he would understand what the drivers are facing the FMCSA and DOT don’t give a crap about none of us And as long as we allow them to screw usThey’re going to keep doing it I’ve been saying this for years and so far it’s happened we keep getting screwed
So using the sleeper split, I can pause for 2 hours and run again after 8 hr break. Supposedly that was going to 3 & 7.
With this stupid new proposal I can pause for up to 3, but then still have to take a 10 hr break??
Worse than ever. Someone please shove the beaurocrat babysitters off a cliff!
Been driving for 39 years this is not trucking anymore. I get less rest now than I did in the old days.seems like everything you do you lose time on the clock.Due to backups I’m about ready to retire from the and trying to make a living
Been driving for 39 years and ready to retire to much stress and a whole lot less money
being o/o, and with way my route runs, this would be great thing for me, but stopping the mandatory 8 hr rule would be big thing. Pick up to delivery is 7.5-8.5 hours depending on traffic etc. Many times have to stop for break because I would arrive in 8.25 hrs
Been there done that many times Sir.
The 30 minute rule that they should’ve repealed, but kept, is both insulting and invasive! There’s nothing like being treated like a child! Nap time children! It also causes problems with parking, and even time sensitive loads. The benefit of stopping the 14 with a 30 min-3hr break is a good idea, but why not just go back to the old 16 hour day? Better yet, just scrap these ridiculous yearly changes, and get the f### out of hair, and let us do our jobs!
The thing is when i stop i stop for lunch or dinner its usually an hour, so theres never a need to take a 30, its kinda useless, although its helped me with long unloads, i just took a break there…..then went to truckstop to dinner lol……
AMEN!!!!! Say it again
Seems to me y’all are making more outa this than needed. It sucks they took out the ‘clock stop’ provision, that was the 1 thing I liked about the new rules. Was this “companies will take advantage of the drivers” just a way to take it back?? How can they use it against us? Dispatch won’t know when we’re going to use it until we stop an go off duty/sleeper birth.
Still very happy I’m RETIRED
Companies will dictate to drivers when to take it and when not to. They won’t leave it up to drivers. We can refuse, of course, but they can also penalize us for doing so. We’re robot puppets, not adults with independent wills, lives, goals, and/or needs.
Maybe your company does sir, I never worked for anyone that tried to force something on myself!! A few tried, my answer was always if the safety man said okay & it paid enuf…. never got past that. You need to change companies quickly! Just sayin
the reason many (read myself) wants more split bunk options is that we are tired of watching the clock for four-five hours a day waiting for the computer to decide we are awake to drive. adding a complete 10 hr mandatory bunk is just salt on the wound. i’m sure every suggested provision would help a carrier somewhere with a problem, but then you get into the ag provision hole; everyone wants something. i would like to see productivity numbers since the e-log inception, my numbers aren’t much different but i struggle to get my miles today as to a more relaxed trip planning scenario previously where i could travel cities out of rush hours and difficult roads in daylight. not to mention p/u del appointments. now it is just hammer to make it. i suppose i could start driving at 80 like everyone else but 40 years has ingrained some degree of caution and courtesy.
Eerily similar to how it was 20 years ago… before the idiots who’ve never driven a truck, stared telling us how to live on the road.
I quit the bisiness. If anybody thinks a log is so safe they are welcome to put it on their own car.
FMCSA wants to hear from drivers??? BS BIGTIME. WHY DIDN’T THEY HEAR US ABOUT THE ELOG. BECAUSE COMPANY WEREN EX CEO WAS IN CHARGE OF FMCSA AND SHOULDN’T HAVE NEVER BEEN BECAUSE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. Now he resigns just when they start investigating BROKERS RATES ETC.
The government is forcing people out of the industry by imposing useless rules that brings more harm than safety… In a haste for lunch or sleeper berths causes drivers to accidents or push them to Park where they are not supposed to and someone would crush onto them… Why not leave truckers to do their jobs ???Take their lunch, go to sleep when they like, but not drive more than 14 hours a day ?? Most OTR drivers have abandoned the job to make UBER… Why can the government not see the damage they have done to the trucking industry??
Give our 4th line back like they have in the oil field work
Canada already does this. Any break from work (driving/non/driving) is simply added onto the end of my shift, up to the 16-hr limit for on-duty.
It doesn’t appear to adversely affect safety.
We really need to push back against this hand-wringing safety-culture BS where it is mistakenly presumed that if we can just apply enough regulations all incidents that might injure our emotions will go away.
(It’s tied to high Trait-Neuroticism, which is running at pathological levels right now)
Ok i don’t care about hos rules i was a otr driver for 33 years i found something out find a triaxel job I love it home every day at the same time I get paid hourly and I don’t need to log my hrs i hit a button and I am empty i back up into a loader i don’t need to get out of the truck all day check it out i make $ 24 and if i want over time it is available i miss the road but I won’t go back to sleeping in a box pissing on tires and chasing 4 wheeler’s like a dog again that’s for sure
this accomplishes nothing. The 14 hr rule is what is causing the increased number of accidents. Get rid of the 14 hr rule and the 30 minute rule and stop the split breaks . The 14 hr rule is just a control mechanism put in by the control freaks in the federal government.
Pay all time hourly. Stop this two hours wati g to get pay. No trucking company should stop paying drivers for work done. Trucking companys are getting pay for the load. Pri trips safety cks and post trips should be pay on the clock. We the drivers have let companys pay olnly for driving . FMCC. IT IS TIME DRIVERS GET PAY FOR ALL TIME SPEND DRING UNLODING PRITRIPING AND POSTRIPING. IF IS THE LAW TO DO THIS IMPECTIONS IT SHOULD BE PAY BY THE HOURS ALL HOURS ON THE CLOCK. U.P.S AND TRUBLUE LONGISTS ARE PAYING THERE DRIVERS REGULAR HOURS AND OVER TIME. IT IS TIME WE THE ANERICAN DRIVER GET PAY THE RIGTH WAY ON THE CLOCK ALL HOURS. ALL HOURS ARE WORK WE THE DRIVERS HAVE TO DO. IT IS TIME WE GET PAY. ON THE CLOCK.
Pay all time hourly. Stop this two hours wati g to get pay. No trucking company should stop paying drivers for work done. Trucking companys are getting pay for the load. Pri trips safety cks and post trips should be pay on the clock. We the drivers have let companys pay olnly for driving . FMCSA. IT IS TIME DRIVERS GET PAY FOR ALL TIME SPEND DRING UNLODING PRITRIPING AND POSTRIPING. IF IS THE LAW TO DO THIS IMPECTIONS IT SHOULD BE PAY BY THE HOURS ALL HOURS ON THE CLOCK. U.P.S AND TRUBLUE LONGISTS ARE PAYING THERE DRIVERS REGULAR HOURS AND OVER TIME. IT IS TIME WE THE ANERICAN DRIVER GET PAY THE RIGTH WAY ON THE CLOCK ALL HOURS. ALL HOURS ARE WORK WE THE DRIVERS HAVE TO DO. IT IS TIME WE GET PAY. ON THE CLOCK.
I agree with you! One size doesn’t fit all. There are many DIFFERENT drivers out there! We all run different, yet the same. Splits may work for some and seriously hinder others. Carriers will almost always find a way to exploit HOS and the drivers.
4 wheelers ARE to blame for majority of the accidents. If the Gov’t wants to “help”, then might I suggest giving 4 wheelers limited hours of driving! Another suggestion would be DOT inspections for 4 wheelers. Check Their brakes, tires, wipers, fluids, lights, horn, etc… And also include physicals/Eye tests every 2 years!
The Government in digging in to something that they had no business doing in the first place. There afraid that they may loose an ounce of control over something that was none of there business to begin with. They keep hammering into their excuse for control sake “SAFETY” when in fact what they have created is the opposite. It’s all about control and money. Hey, why should we complain, we allow or own demise because we don’t stand on protecting our rights anymore. Too many people now days wants everything told to them instead of assuming some responsibility and doing things on our own as a reasonable and responsible adult. I have said it for years and will continue to say that we need to stand together for the betterment of the industry and its future. As the old saying goes, “us it or loose it”. In other words, exercises your rights or loose them…..Just as what’s happening every day…..Just saying.
The whole idea of trying to regulate when someone is tired or sleepy is inherently flawed. it’s like trying to tell somebody when they’re hungry or time to eat. The number of factors that could or would make someone sleepy are to numerous to list. Thinking you can regulate it is just another exercise in Futility. And stands as yet another example of over regulation of an industry.
I don’t understand it. I probably would if I was interested . I started driving when you had log books, stopped when YOU were tired. I remember, I stopped at a shopping center and went to the movie, in Green Bay , Wi. Got back in the truck and continued my day. That’s the way I learned to be responsible in trucking , by making my own decisions. I really don’t like anybody making my life’s decisions.
I was raised that way. But today’s Parents???? not so sure.
The Proposal does not state that you must use it or not! They actually are trying to fix their screwed up 14 hour rule. Which I think is the dumbest crap ever come up with. Say I just need to jump in my truck and run get loaded on my appointment time then drive back home only driving and on duty for 1.5 hours. I sit at home till time to head out after 10 hours off duty at home, then I only have 2.5 hours of on duty and driving left. A whole day gone to heck. Put it back like it used to be, driving 5 hours, take 15-30 minutes break, then drive 5 more hours. Work 2-3 hours and 8-11 hours off. You used to be able to drive 5 hours, sleep 4-5 hours then drive 5 hours if that is how you wanted to run. But anyway, they are going to do what they want and screw what we think about it!! Same as them Boneheaded Bastards in the WhiteHouse. They freaking work for us, we pay their damn high salaries and I can’t even afford to take my family on vacation but they damn sure can.