Question about the 70 hour/8 day rule

That's what I do - make more and only work 50 . We have several 2-3 day trips that pay over $800 . If I feel like working over 50 hours I'll do 2 of them in a week . Otherwise I'll do one of those trips and a local day trip .

 

By my interpretation on the regulation the 2 hour sleeper will count against the 14 "(C) Calculation of the 14-hour limit includes all time except any sleeper-berth period of at least 8 but less than 10 consecutive hours; compliance must be re-calculated from the end of the first of the two periods used to comply with the requirements of paragraph (g)(1)(ii)(A) of this section."
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=395.1

 

You are correct, sir.

 

I've worked as many as 25 days straight and never touched 70 hrs, very easy to do if your rolling your hours and being creative. But I've also gone two or three months at a time where I've hit 70 in 6 days every week.

 

Not especially germane, but the present 14 hr split time rule is just about worthless, IMHO.

Want (need, maybe) to take a 3,4,5,6, or 7 hr nap/break to avoid bad weather, big city rush hour traffic, or a major backup? Sorry, friend, won't work.

The only time I have ever used this rule is when I couldn't make make my delivery if I took a ten hour break (had to take some kind of break or would have been over the 14), so took 8, went the rest of the way to receiver, and then logged 15 mins on duty, not driving, then 2 hrs off while they unloaded me.

Legal? Sure. Following the intent of the law (supposedly safety re: proper rest)? No.

Thank you, you morons at the FMSCA.

 

That's pretty much the only time I use the 8/2 split. An example was last week. I dropped at Amazon.com in Phoenix. I had an appointment time of 2100. I arrived at 2030. Logged 15 min on duty to check in and logged 2 hrs in the sleeper until they finished around 2245. When all was said and done it was close to 2300 when I left. I had a scheduled pickup at 8am the next morning. A 10hr break would put me past that so I pulled out and parked on the street with a half dozen other trucks and logged the last 8 hrs in the sleeper between 2330 and 730, giving me plenty of time to go down the road a few miles to pick up.

The 8/2 split is only really useful for that kind of circumstance.

 

I use the 8/2 split when possible