Hopper, Dump O/O's & Drivers

Got about 2 inches,so it was about perfect for Christmas. I'm kinda worried 'bout the Packers though,Cowdoc may be right

Welcome JD,i run mostly local too,150-200 miles out is about as far as i venture. Sounds like you already have some good contacts with farmers,so that's a plus,but like wheathauler has already stated,the rates are really not keep'n up with fuel,or at least thats how it is in my neck of the woods. Anyways,welcome to the hopper/dump thread

I'm like you,WH, I kinda think CSA 2010 might not be so bad if it eliminates some bad drivers and carriers,especially the rate ''low-ballers''.On the other hand,with my luck,I'll probably get a road-side inspection tomorrow and be back tomorrow night fussing like crazy

 

Has anybody seen this yet?

FMCSA's HOS Proposal Adjusts Driving Window, Introduces Mandatory Breaks

In its Hours-of-Service Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in the Federal Register yesterday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposes a standard driving window of 14 hours. This means that if the proposal becomes a final rule drivers will have 14 hours after coming on duty to complete their 10 or 11 hours of driving (depending on which driving limit FMCSA settles on).
If you think that seems too simple for a Federal regulation, you may have a future at FMCSA. The agency has also proposed to limit the actual on-duty time during that 14-hour driving window to 13 hours of on-duty time. As such, drivers will be required to take at least one hour of break time during the standard driving window.
The proposal also introduces a 30-minute break requirement for drivers. Upon reaching the 7th hour after coming on duty, the driver may remain on-duty, but cannot resume driving without taking a 30-minute break. For example, a driver who opts to take a half-hour break four hours after coming on duty will need take another break no later than 11.5 hours after coming on duty to continue driving.
In another interesting twist, FMCSA is proposing an option that would allow drivers to extend their daily shift twice a week. Any time worked over 14 hours would count as an extension. As proposed, the extension does not extend a driver's 13 hours of duty time. Any driver who would want to take advantage of the 16th hour would need to take 3 hours of off-duty time during the standard driving window. The definition of on-duty is being tweaked to allow drivers to count some of the time spent parked in their trucks as off-duty hours.
A detailed discussion of the new driving window and break requirements are included in Section VI, Part B and C of FMCSA's HOS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. See our previous post for more information on how to comment on FMCSA's Hours-of-Service proposal.

Tags: DOT Compliance, FMCSA, HOS, Hours of Service, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

 

We've had a lot of rain today, and tornado warnings just south of us. Supposed to turn off cold again tonight. Crazy weather!

It sounds like maybe the powers that be are trying to interject a little common sense into the HOS rules. If they don't wind up making it so complicated we have to take a class to understand it all.

 

The big companies are for it and they don't care about the small guy. I believe we will all have to have them one of these days to WH. I was looking at leasing on to a good size carrier out of Tulsa because they have a lot of local and regional work for flatbeds and after some checking around I found out they were putting in electronic logs on all their trucks including owner operators well I bailed on that. I think their reason for doing it is because their out of service rate on drivers is high and this is a quick fix before the DOT pays them a visit. Their is also a big tanker fleet based in OKC (UPT-United Petroleum Transport) they are also going to electronic logs on all company and owner operators. I had a safety man with one large company tell me the main reason a company goes to electronic logs is because of form and manner violations on logs. They issue more tickets over drivers forgetting to fill out the log properly then anything else and with electronic logs you don't have to worry about it.

I don't know if it is going to help or brake the industry. The big major companies can handle it because when you have thousands of trucks you can send another truck after that load after a driver runs out of time kinda hard to do with one truck. I hope the rates go up and the fly by night guys go out but we will just have to wait and see. These customers are going to have to quit using trucks as storage and get them loaded and unloaded in a reasonable mount of time.

I took a load to Beaumont, TX and was unloaded by 7:30 am then went to Houston to reload pipe for Edmond, OK. I arrive at 9am and I am about the fifth truck in line to load, after three hours of waiting to load I went tracked down one of the shipping guys and asked him why I am still sitting their when they have brought trucks around me and his answer was: "We are waiting on the second truck that is getting the same pipe you are going to the same place and it is easier on us if we load you guys at the same time. Well my blood pressure went up and I looked at him and said well you might have a bigger problem because if you don't get me loaded asap you will be waiting on the truck that will be replacing me because in Houston I won't have a problem finding another load and I will leave. I don't have clue about this other truck and it seems like you don't either and he may not show up until tomorrow. Well within fifteen minutes the loading crew was their to get me and at 3pm I am leaving loaded. I drive 3 1/2 hrs to Hutchins, TX to fuel, shower and eat leaving two hours later (had a waiting line for showers) then it is another four hours to my destination arriving at 12:30 am. The place I deliver to gets a lot of trucks each day and if you are not one of the first ones you can bet you will be their all day. I showed up and was the first outside carrier to get their and pulled out empty at 9:30am. So if I had electronic logs I would have had to go to bed in Hutchins, TX and then leave the next morning and then by the time I would have got to my destination and unloaded I would have been to late to reload that day.

I am all for running legal but I the customers are going to have to change the way they run their shipping and receiving dept. or it is going to hurt us bad in the wallet or put you out of business.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my Friends on here. I hope you and your family's have a safe New Years and may we all have a great, safe and profitable 2011.

 

Has any of your customers asked about your CSA score or what you are doing to keep your score good or to improve it?

Why I ask is we have a major pipe manufacture that we haul for with plants in Texas and Arkansas asked all carriers that haul for them what they doing about CSA 2010. The carriers had to send a representative or their safety person to have a meeting with the customer and discuss this matter. I didn't know if the feed and grain companies were concerned.

 

WH you have some loads lined up for this week?