Intra State Texas HOS question

I haul crude and I have a question about oilfield exemptions in Texas. We run a Texas 70/7 (12 hour driving/15 hour day) E-Log on PeopleNet. When we go on break it suspends our 15 hour clock thus allowing us to work over our 15. This seems wrong since I didn't know of anything suspending the 15 hour clock. We are also encouraged to go on break after 30 minutes of starting our load/download even though the PTO is engaged and we have to attend to the controls should anything happen. This again doesn't seem correct. I think I have read about such things being OK if you're directly involved in the production phases but not simply the transportation of crude. Any insights?

 

That's the only time I will go off duty is when waiting on the header.
It's the suspension of the 15 hour clock that makes us work 16 or more hours a day. We just lost one of our guys because he fell asleep and rolled his truck. That $600 a day doesn't do a thing for him now.

 

I have always understood it that way but now it's letting us drive after the 15 hours.

 

Let's say you start your day a 0500 so 15 hours later will be 20:00 or 8PM and your day should be over...right? But you had to wait for 2 hours to unload. You go off duty while waiting for the header. Now it's your turn to hook up. You then go on duty-Unloading and go about your business. That two hours waiting has extended your end of day clock to 2200 or 10 pm. Thus allowing you to use all available hours to drive or be on-duty until 10 pm. Effectively giving you a 17 hour day. What I'm asking is if this is correct if you're hauling crude.