Three more hours added to the fourteen hour duty status

Learn to ####ing read. The regulations say what they say, and that's all that they say. Nothing more, nothing less. When they say "motor carrier", they mean "motor carrier", of which I am not. When they say "compensated" work for non-motor carrier, they mean "compensated" work. When they talk about dealing with a "disabled" CMV, they mean a "disabled" CMV. None of that applies if I'm done for the day, hop in my POV and drive to town in order to grab a bite to eat, pick up some groceries, and buy some oil and other supplies for the truck. You really think I'm driving all of the way to town JUST for the 1 or 2 things I specifically need for the truck? No, I'm grabbing everything else I needed or wanted for the house that wasn't worth the special trip. Second, no audit in the world is going to uncover when, where, or how I bought what I bought to service my truck. Why? Because the FMCSA doesn't know I exist, so they won't be knocking on MY door. Audit the carrier, and they won't find any receipts for anything service-related, because the carrier isn't paying for it. What they will find is a date, odometer reading, and what service was performed because the service records ARE required. There are NO record-keeping requirements for non-motor carriers. That means I'm not required to keep any such receipts, so any investigator who shows up on my door will politely be told to GFY one time before I tell him not so politely to GFY. I am under no obligation to share my records with anyone from the FMCSA for general snooping purposes because I'm not required to keep them. BOL's, ROHW (with accompanying RODS when required), and fuel receipts are all the carrier gets from me. BOL's so they can get paid (and pay me), record of my hours because the regs require it, and fuel receipts for IFTA. Any other receipt only gets submitted IF they are going to reimburse. No motel receipts. No service/maiontenance/repair receipts. Audit the carrier all you like, won't find a #### thing there that isn't required...just like if I'm pulled over, I don't hand anything over to the officer that isn't required...license, registration, insurance, a BOL only if I'm loaded, and a log book only if there is evidence (such as a BOL for the load I'm currently hauling) to show I've been beyond the 100 air-mile radius THAT DAY...and then, only that current day's log. Previous 7 I stayed local and logs weren't required, so they don't exist. The law is specific when it says what you MUST have, and if you aren't required to have something you can't get in trouble for NOT having it.

 

The ata absolutely had an influence, but not nearly the size of influence that most claim they did.
You we're doing this in the 90s just like me, so I'm sure you remember the huge well funded campaigns by citizen groups with tons of voting power pressuring Washington to rein in the trucking industry. Voting power is what legislators listen to.

Changes were coming no matter what, the only way the ata was going to have a voice in the hos over haul is if they supported a type of electronic automated monitoring. Elogs evolved from the monitoring debate. And maybe im wrong but i think the elogs we ended up with are far better than what the industry would of been forced to adapt to of the ata wouldn't of had a seat at that table.

Remember the ata helped push to get the 34 hour restart in. They fought against and eventually succeeded in getting the goofy 2 12am to 5 am requirement removed. And are fighting to get the 30 minute break removed.

I am not stupid enough to believe the ata have my best interest in mind, but id certainly rather they be involved in trucking legislations than have no industry input into those legislations. Washington isn't going to listen to me with my one vote, and they don't listen to ooida cause ooida has proven themselves to be a joke.

 

You consider lazy as people who can drive 10 and a half hours in a 14 hour window, slam a 10 hour break and get up and deliver on time and repeat. your lazy people have learned to keep that left door closed and get that job done legally and efficently.
But somehow the once elite creative paper loggers who are the 'hardest working' drivers on the road are now complaining about missing their naps or not finding time to take a shower

 

For me, it isn't about napping during the day. Hell, I drive a day cab and there really isn't anyplace TO nap. I work to live, not the other way around...so if I'm in the viscinity of someplace I want to go or something I want to do...or someplace I need to go anyway...and I can still get the load delivered on time, then I see no good reason NOT to stop and enjoy life a little. A strict 14 hour clock removes the ability to do that. It isn't a daily occurrence...perhaps once or twice every several weeks...but even ONE time is once too many.

 

All work and no play sounds like a miserable existence. No wonder there is a driver shortage.

 

I'm in a daycab too, but then every sort of store is within 25 miles of home.

 

I dont see any evidence of special metrics. Accidents are looked at by miles operated. Swift alone probably travels 5 million miles a day(i have no idea how many miles they travel, using 500 miles a day times 10k trucks). It will take me almost a hundred years at my current pace to hit 5 million miles. Would you say i have a horrible record of i go 80 years with no accidents then get into one at year 81?

 

The 14/10 rule came about because it was supposed to fit inside a 24hour clock better. This was meant to help promote more rested drivers. But like everything else it was a compromise. Trucking companies talked to the loudmouth minority that just wanted to leave things the same. And they crafted those arguments as their response. So as a compromise they got the 11 hour driving rule slid in. Now I’m gonna tell you, I started back under the old rules and it didn’t take long to figure out the old way was complete nonsense. I started doing this AFTER my drugging days were done, but I sure did slam the mountain dews. Probably was a contributing factor in developing my current health issues to be honest. I also remembered the “truckers love it” and similar products. Had all the same ingredients used to make what we used to call “bathtub crank” . It wasn’t good stuff. But truckers would get all strung out on that #### before they made it illegal.
The new hos are not new anymore. In fact we now have drivers with over 10 years experience that no nothing else. They aren’t perfect but they are a #### sight better than what we had to deal with previously. That said I don’t think it would hurt to take a look at them and see if they could be tweaked.
But I don’t think an all out overhaul just because a handful of drivers who think they HAVE to drive every second of their 11 can’t figure out how to do there job legally.
Maybe they need further training. I dunno.
What I DO know is they tend to be loudmouths that throw around a lot of insults. Blaming others when it would appear they are the ones with the skill set that isn’t up to the task. Big bad O/O that dont have the balls to say NO when the load says they will be charged if the load is late. O/O who don’t have the balls to call and reschedule an appt. when they are going to be late.
You bring it all on yourself man. Then you blame others for your inadequacies.
Adding in a 3 hour break provision totally goes against the reasoning behind the 14/10 clock. It changes it to a 17/7. And many drivers will be forced to work that because “that’s the way it’s done”. Nope it’s a bad idea, and if you follow the money, I bet you find the ####tiest shippers/receivers/trucking companies behind it.
Nope I’m against this proposal.
Nobody forces you to drive 11 or Work 14. If you can’t get done what you need to do in that structure then IMO you need to dial it back a bit. Can’t afford to? Well maybe you need to restructure your #### so you can. Either way, what your doing now obviously ain’t working and you need to figure out how to fix YOURSELF. And remember, before you start your attack and start your name calling, IM not the one who has a problem. YOU are.

 

I would agree with that. I never did understand what 8 days ago has to do with today.
The current 14/10 structure allows for sufficient rest to be able to do 14/10 every day.

 

I'm kinda torn on it. On one hand it sure would be nice to stop right before atlanta at 5 pm for 3 hours to avoid the heavy congestion before continuing on. On the other hand i see it opening up the door for a return of the old days at the steel mills. "sure we held you up all afternoon and you couldn't rest cause every twenty minutes you had to pull your truck up in line, but you should log all that as off duty so now you can run 700 miles by 6 am tomorrow".