What if traffic problems cause you to violate your 10 hours?

Probably not....there is a two hour extension rule for bad weather but most likely you would be told to do your trip planning a little better which I know really isnt an answer as it doesn't always reflect reality but then if regulations did reflect reality the world would be a much easier place...

 

Interstate Truck Driver's Guide to Hours of Service

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/truck/driver/hos/fmcsa-guide-to-hos.pdf

 

I suppose unusual road and traffic conditions could be construed as an exception but if its ongoing construction, probably not. For instance, everyone knows that Gary, IN is an ongoing ########### so you really can't argue that you didn't know about it beforehand. If a wreck shut the road down for a few hours and you were stuck in the middle of it then probably yes but dont you hafta have supporting documentation?

 

My question to you is would you stop and take your 10 hr break in the middle of the freeway if you had no "option" for running over your hours because of some unforseen circumstance?

 

I would simply because I don't want to pay the fine associated with running illegal if caught if DOT didn't agree with my reason for doing so.

I'm not sure why someone would be unable to find a place to stop for 10 hours though. Once I saw that my drive time was in jeopardy and I knew I wasn't going to make it and there wasn't an alternate route, I would have been pulling off the road and hitting a stopping place well ahead of that time and starting my 10 so I could be rolling again as soon as possible with plenty of drive time and sending in a QC message to let them know why I was stopping. *shrug*

 

theres a safe harbor rule, like most said on here, i not sure the time limit is right, but it's the next safe harbor, which is usually under 2 hours away, but not always, depending on parking availibility, it,s a very grey area, you gotta use common sense, remember.............everything will come down on you the driver, make sure your logs are right, try to get your co to transverse on qual com, ppl net, watever to show your trying to run legal

 

If you use the safe harbour rule with documentation in your logbook of what milemarker, start time and end time and cause of delay and then stop at a truckstop or rest area in a reasonable amount of time you will be fine. That doesnt mean driving by 2 truckstops and a rest area just so you can get to a place that you like better than the ones you passed. But like kwray said, dont try running into Gary or NYC with a 1/2 hour left on your book and expect to get away with the safe horbour rule.

 

I believe the extra 2 hours only extends the 11 hours of driving, not the 14 hour clock.