New rules

And I've posted this before . FMCSA doesn't expect carriers to get drivers to adjust to the 1 a.m to 5 a.m. requirement . They expect carriers to reduce driver hours and hire more drivers so they don't need a restart to keep trucks moving .
The Teamsters lost lawsuits and appeals to eliminate the restart . Then then used another tactic . They used their politician in their pocket Frank Lautenberg to demand a "review of HOS " .

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110shrg74983/html/CHRG-110shrg74983.htmUnable to justify eliminating the restart the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. requirement was thrown in to prevent full utilization of the restart just as the required 30 minute off duty break partially accomplished the Teamster goal of reducing driving hours from 11 hours to 10 .

 

I rarely use a restart- I run off of my recap, and stop a couple or 4 times a shift as it is now. Of course, I'm NOT being paid cpm... I'm paid percentage, so the last thing I do is try to maximize my miles. Other than spending a few more minutes on one of my breaks, it will have little effect on me. But I do understand and sympathize with those who need every minute in an 11-hour shift to make ends meet

I agree with you Rick... this is just an underhanded way to get to the place that the Madd Momma's, People for Hamstrung Road Transportation, and their railroad funding sources want us all to be.

 

I am loving the new ag exemption rules in North Dakota. They stretched them out to 150 miles now and starting this coming fall we can pass a few miles into Minnesota under the Ag exemption rules. It is so nice being able to just draw a line through off duty and writing ag exempt in the comments section and go about my day. 12 months a year we can do this as long as we are hauling farm product from farm to market.

 

I don't think you'd be off duty , just exempt . If you went to other types of hauling the ag hours would count as on duty on your past 7 days .

 

Its a problem with grain haulers as well. I don't get a chance to take a lunch running 2 loads a day. If the trip less than 300 miles I run 2/day. I don't get a lunch and I only fuel one tank so logging 30 for fuel or 30 for lunch does not work in my situation. The only possible solution is hauling products that take a long time to unload. I can dump a full trailer of grain in about 5 minutes and the problem is there no fudging that because its time stamped. The 30 minute break gets fudged by almost all drivers right now, and the restart provision is a joke. As another poster said you unload at 3 pacific and have to log eastern you end up taking a 50 hour reset. And what about the drivers that run team and run nights? They're always going to be taking longer rests. That is why I say screw the FMCSA they continue to make laws and ignore facts. The years with these HOS rules were the safest ever but it wasn't broke so they wanted to fix it. Now we get this mumbo jumbo to comply with. If they're going to do something like this with the HOS go back to the way it was before. Drive 10, work 14, 48 for a reset!

 

Must be nice huh? That at exemption in ND is nice. Its still 100 miles down here and doesn't apply when crossing state lines. But you can run 24/7/365 on our exemption. Line through off duty miles at midnight to mils at midnight. Run like a sob. They're trying to do away with that as well though its not safe for a driver to work that long.

 

It doesn't matter where you are. ALL log book entries are to be in your home terminal time zone, the 34-hr reset is as well.

 

As of Feb 2012 a person can log all time sitting or waiting time in a non-moving truck as off-duty. That would include loading/unloading facilities. It's not that big of a deal.

 

Nope, that has already been discussed at length with DOT in North Dakota. When running Ag , our hours are of no concern of the DOTs according to DOT themselves. I have been given the green light by DOT a few times this year. You may not like it Rick but that is the way it is.

 

Iowa usually exempts HOS rules for grain haulers and some others at certain times of the year to coincide with farming operations. When harvest is on, for instance, HOS sure gets in the way of getting all of that grain to where it needs to be. Weather and other issues do not allow for delays in harvest for HOS nonsense.