What the new hours of service really mean.

Ever hear of rest areas? How does it take 45 mins to get in, get a break, and get out? I keep plenty of food in the truck I bring from home. I have internet thru my cell phone provider. I can take care of a lot of business, eat a hot lunch, hit the restroom, and be back on the road in no more than 32 minutes while knocking off 30 min of that for a break. Now what part of the math can't you figure out about this? Especially since this only comes away from the 14 hr window and not the 11 hr window? Even under your version, that still leaves at least 2 hrs flexibility in that 14 to still knock out the 11 hrs driving. If it is a matter of running 11, taking a 10, running 11, taking a 10, etc, then you are going to run out of driving hrs long before the 7 days, regardless of the 30 min break.

If this is going to negatively affect you to the degree you seem to contend, then why not look for another line of work? If it was going to penalize my revenue considerably, I would just shut the truck down and move on to something else. No one is forced to continue to do what they are doing now. As much as it seems to moving that way, the country is still not like the former Soviet Union where you are told where you will work.

 

How many rest areas do you think will have adequate parking when this goes into effect ? What about trying to trying to get in a fuel stop and get fuel with trucks backing in and out every 30 minutes ?

 

Do you really think everybody is going to take their break at the same time, as everybody else?

 

You will be surprised. With thousand's of trucks on the road every single day as drivers are trying to race against the clock and the way truckstops are already you can bet ur ### there is going to be alot of trucks taking the same dumb 30 minute break. Wait and see. Even more of a cluster mess than what they have already created. Pitiful in my opinion.

 

No , not all at the same time . Every 10 or 15 minutes whatever trucks have been there 15 minutes will be trying to back out and other trucks will be sitting waiting to back in to the spot .

 

Cowpie,come to north dakota were the majority of the rest areas are closed and.blocked off. Then do my job that doesnt take you anywere near a closed reststop muchless an opened one. Try to log what I HAVE to log each day. Yoy will think much differenty. The job I do was a very joyful job. I really liked it before bigbrother decided on how my job should be done instead of letting me,the one operating the truck.

 

One BIG problem we all have is the fact way too many drivers and owners just kick back and allow all the bs rules and regulations take ahold in the first place. We adapt to change way to easliy and they know they can put whatever regulations they want on us and we just accept them.

 

Then quit using examples like you are in New Jersey. I run ND frequently and have no issues. I have used lots of various spots in small towns and such to pull over and stretch my legs, make coffee, or get into the fridge and get a sandwich. ND has one heck of a lot of small mom and pop places, grain elevators, etc that one can pull over for a quick break if needed. You are obviously stopping somewhere during your day somewhere as part of what you do. You can always take a 30 min at one of those locations. You don't HAVE to log what you do. Everything in life is a choice. You have just chosen to do it the way you are. No one is putting a gun to your head and making you do anything. Look, no use arguing with a wall. You will either make it work or you won't. I learned to make things like this not have such a detrimental effect when they come at me. I am just glad you were not in my recon unit in the Army with your version of a "can do" attitude.

 

Welcome to the world of big government. The guys who put this country together tried to warn us not to let government get this big. They understood human nature far better than we give them credit for. Well, we can either adapt to new regs they throw out there or quit. The majority of the country, including drivers, must like it this way. They either don't vote or vote for idiots who encourage government agencies to throw this stuff out there. I am not so sure that drivers and owners just "kick back" and allow this to go on. Most are just overwhelmed by all the stuff thrown at them, they are dizzy just trying to absorb it all and really don't know what to do about it. If there is an easy viable solution, then by all means, share it with the group. There really is only three choices.... Just do it without complaint. Stay vigilant and in contact with your hired help in DC to try and get them to change it. Or get out of the business. If it gets to where there is no way I can make a reasonable profit doing this, then the latter option will be my choice. Until then, the second one is the course I will take.

 

I am required to log all loading and unloading operations of the truck because I am the one that loads it and unloads it. I can easily burn up 14 hours a day and then some. Last time I pulled over tot he side of a street in a small town, Hp pulled up and told me to move on. Elevators don't take to kindly to trucks just parking in their yards either. I have been doing this current gig for over 7 years now. before that I ran a small portable parking lot OTR. Until you run my current job and the truck I run then you have no clue as to what I am talking about. I am saying and many others in our company say that the 30 min mandate is screwing us. Until they allow the 30 min mandate to stop the 14 then it will continue to screw us over.