Let's Hear Your "New HOS Rules" Proposal

If you think the current HOS rules suck, let's hear some better alternatives. But let's be reasonable with any proposals. There must be reasonable balance between public safety expectations, driver expectations, and management expectations (dispatchers, brokers, shippers, etc)

Let's try and keep the topic on point and not get derailed into a series of pissing contests. If you like the current HOS rules or think you have a better idea, say so and say why in a way to maybe change the minds of others.

Also, detention issues and possible ways of dealing with them, though relevant in the realm of HOS rules, should be addressed in another thread. Perhaps an HOS model can be developed where detention issues are no longer as critical and problematic for HOS rules as they are now. HOS rules should accommodate detention issues, however legitimate detention issues should not cause HOS violations.

Please post your proposals and any reasoning explanations you deem necessary. Try and keep the post as concise as possible.

Let's also establish some known facts and understandings

• the driver should always be ultimately responsible for their safety and the safety of others and the safe transit of the freight, and have the final say
• shippers and brokers and dispatchers should have the ability to calculate a "best case" scenario for delivery time, and that any time before this is not going to happen, and the "best case time" is in no way a guarantee unless the carrier and driver(s) collective agrees. This is to say there should be a reasonable performance level and expectation of drivers and carriers by shippers, buyers, brokers, etc.
• We live in a time-sensitive world. Lots of distribution and production operates in a "just-in-time" model. And many companies will always require trucks arrive in an ordered fashion. Both delivery and pickup appointments and on-time service will always be critical. Planners still need to have the ability to schedule appointments that are reasonable for all parties and the HOS rules will usually always be the main factor in setting appointments.
• Many places will never be able to provide "overnight parking" or even "early arrival staging" so this is just a reality the industry must deal with when/where applicable, as they always have.
• Weather, road construction, and crashes will always be an unknown variable to be dealt with, and can not always be factored in to the minute by the driver, the carrier, the shipper, or any other party. This means there can be no "one size fits all" allowance for these incidents. This is another reality the industry must deal with when/where applicable, as they always have. Having a "more flexible" HOS rules would go a long ways to dealing with these situations.
• HOS rules should not have to accommodate poor trip planning and/or a poor work ethic. Granted, the current HOS rules (several different countdown timers working) demand the highest levels of trip planning, any HOS rules alternative proposals may require less precise trip planning to a degree.
• Let's try not to get too wrapped up in a lot of "exemptions" or "exceptions" for this and for that and let's focus on truck drivers in classic driving positions. If bus drivers and other specialized segments need their own carve-outs, let them do their own thing.

So, let's hear 'em. Even if you have some details to work out later, voice your general idea and see where it goes. HOS rules have always been set by the "captains of industry" in the past. Drivers always say "who knows better about how to safely run trucks than truck drivers?" Well, put your money where your mouth is.

That said, let's present ideas that you would not be ashamed to put forth to the entire audience at a Dallas Cowboys football game and expect most to be open to the proposal and feel their safety as motorists would not be at risk [or at any further risk]. It's a given there will always be those who think truckers are dangerous, no matter what rules they do or don't operate under. So, we're not trying to "win them over".

 

In working with the current HOS rules, and to keep things simple, I'd like to simply propose (as others have) that we eliminate the 70/8 and 60/7 rules. This would make a huge difference for those who wanted to work more and get more productivity out of their fleet, overall, without really affecting overall "driver fitness levels". I understand why the rule was put into place. And I suppose there would be nothing to stop those who still wanted to operate that way could still do so of their own accord.

The idea that if I'm up against my 70 limit, that my tomorrow must not exceed what I did 8 days ago is just stupid. What does my operations 8 days ago have to do with what I can safely do today?

And I'm working on a "sliding 12 hour window" model and will post more details later.

 

I think the 14 hour countdown clock causes more safety related issues then it solves (assuming there is sensible rest requirement time in the other parts of the rules by one means or another) But is there any reliable and accurate data to support quantifying the number of crashes caused by the 14? or that did not occur because of the 14? I really doubt it.

Also, the 30/8 DOT break seems to cause a lot of congestion and frustration issues at truck stops and especially fuel islands and I just can't see that it is all that much of a safety bonus. 20 minutes, 15 minutes, we'll all take a break from driving at some point during the work day, having to sit additional 10-15 minutes to make it a full 30 minutes is just stupid when a shorter break would do just as well. I really don't think many are going to drive 10 or 11 hours straight.