HOS what's the point?

Let's try and twist it around. Okay here you go, many were normal people and slept, but many used drugs so they could make more money. Satisfied?

 

I was a controller back in the 80's. We would rotate positions every hour. Every two hours we got an one hour break. Sometimes we worked an hour, break for an hour depending on the staffing. That's one job you ain't over worked. Over stressed yes, over worked no.

 

Difference is that while the doc has the final say when dealing with emergency patients, the bulk of the direct patient care is done by the RNs, LPNs, Paramedics and EMTs. They'll let the doc know if he's screwing up. OTR drivers don't have that safety net.

Having said that, I feel that the drivers should have the final say as to whether they are too tired to drive. Rather than setting hard rules that force drivers to drive when fatigued (14 hour, 10 consecutive off duty), the DOT should instead administer severe penalties (first offense $500K fine, second offense cancel operating authority) to carriers who retaliate against drivers that exercise their right to limit their driving time. For whatever reason, the FMCSA is ignoring the fact that the current HOS is forcing most drivers to choose between a paycheck and safety.

 

You can'r run a trucking business like that. Some drivers are lazy, some like to run, some run too long, some over-sleep, some get hung-over because they had nothing to "control their off-time" ... Can you imagine the thousands of wild claims that would be filed every day against carriers? How can a carrier provide any sort of reasonable performance guarantee in that sort of environment?

"Exercise their right to limit their driving time"???? That has disaster for carriers (and any other business who relies on trucks for their product ) written all over it. To help balance your idea, can the carrier file a claim against the driver for being "too lazy and unproductive"?

 

It would work if carriers would be more selective about who they hire.

 

It couldn't possibly work, turnover would go to about 300%. Any time a driver caught a cold the company would flip out and term their employment. Conversly drivers would be too scared to stop and realize that driving more hours per day makes them a "better" driver. So while the driver may think they have the final say, it will fall back onto the company that is paying them.

 

My 2¢ since I just received a write up from my company on a log violation, HOS is a bunch of BULL! If a driver can drive then he should be able to drive. For those that say that drivers will be speed (drug) freaks again, well that's what drug tests are for. If your tired, sleep. If your not, drive. Since I'm not a narcoleptic and can't sleep on command it's not always easy to park the truck when my hours are up and go to sleep. So the next day I may have only got 2-3 hours of sleep. Now what do I do? Drive for another 11 fatigued all the way thru so the loads not late. While if I would've just drive til I was tired the day before that would never happen. They should spend more time on trip planning then HOS regulations... Unfortunately we as drivers can't change the law because our pockets aren't deep enough, so instead we get told what we can and can't do by a bunch of tie wearing ##### who have never driven a truck before. Maybe if the guys writing the laws got behind the wheel then things might change, but until then I'll just keep banging thru the gears.

 

How more years of this you think you'll be doing this gig?

 

Man just cause I get pissed about the rules and regs doesn't mean I don't LOVE what I do. I'm a 3rd generation Otr driver, it's in my blood, I'll be doing this "gig" until the EPA makes us drive electric trucks.

 

Looks like it will be a short gig then....