Why not give us more hours of off duty status?

This would be the right thing to do. It would reduce rush hour congestion, maximize driver productivity, increase safety by reducing fatigue, and allow the trucker greater flexibility to maintain his/her own biorhythm.

Many's the time I've done slept all I care to but still can't drive for several hours because of the new rules, so I have to twiddle my thumbs and wait before I can log in for a pretrip inspection and get the wheels rolling. Meanwhile my biorhythm clock is ticking and I know I'll need a long break in the middle of my 14 anyway. I'd much rather be able to "run and gun" while I'm fresh off a satisfying sleep, before rush hour, then be able to finish out the balance of my 10 when my body needs it.

 

Don't forget waiting all day awake for repairs or customers then having to drive all night cause you still had hours left on your clock and dispatch need the load to roll and you had hours. Yeah, did plenty of those 24 hour days awake with the 10 on 8 off HOS back in the days.

 

I always thought the ten eight was fine, but I thought the eleven ten was better. An added hour to drive an added hour to rest split between the two periods. Instead of an eight hour rest you get an extra hour when you start an get to rest an extra hour at the end. I'v always felt I can make up the difference with my drive time.

I can't remember how many times I've thought If I only had an extra hour to drive.

The half hour breaks seems to be more of a thorn if anything. Nothing like breaking up a good run when you in the rhythm, than a mandatory sit out.

Seems like it takes more out of you than it helps.

And as far as the added work periods from 14 to 16-17 rather than like it is now(14) would only work in the dispatchers favor. Like HappyHardcore said. The times you'd have trouble such as break down, multiple stops, and long wait periods would change nothing in what your dispatcher expects from you on a run regardless. They're to college educated.

I think the new regulations on the 34 seems like a bunch bull.

 

I'll throw my idea in to this too. I wish it was 14 hours to be on duty. 11 hours to drive, and 24 hours to do it in (12a-1159p). But you must have at least 10 hours off before you can drive again. Other then those basic rules, do it in any order you choose. Leaving the mandated 10 hour break after the 11 hours driving would prevent the dangerous "I can do anything" guys from turning the 11 in to 22, by timing it to rollover at 12am.

 

You can drive 11 hours be on duty after that as long as you want you just can't drive again until you take your 10 hour break.

The 10 hrs. on duty time would haft to come after the drive time though.

Now your dispatcher would want it to be on duty 10 then able to drive 16 then take your break. Couse he doesn't want to pay the lumper or the tire service, he'd prefer you to load your own trlr, and change your own tire. Then drive all night, hates the 10 hr. Break. But would reluctantly agree couse he had to. Lol

Are you a dispatcher???? You must be some kind of office rat.