Do Interstate Hot Shots Have To Comply With The Hours of Service?

You can go as far to say a unladen trailer capable of hauling over 9,999 lbs requires class a cdl.

Under weight of 24,999? Single unit equirement or crossing state lines and hauling for hire is commercial too and requires logs.

Is it 24.5, 25.9? 5ton?

 

No. It is simply logging related. All HOS rules are still in effect (except the 30 minute break).
You still have to keep to the 11/14/70 hour rules. 14 is easy as you can only work 12 hours to qualify for timecard exemption. You still are limited by the 11 and 70 hour clocks to be legal.

 

Any and all employers you work for wages wherever and however you do it is against your onduty time 70 hours in last 8 days. Remember HOS is a defense mechanism against drivers from running 168 hours a week for weeks on end with no sleep.

So if you worked at a sub shop 8 hours yesterday you logged that employer and the onduty hours worked yesterday. Then if you did driving today, then you logged as normal for today. If you went back to the sandwitch shop back to the onduty hours you worked tomorrow.

Eventually you will have worked a full 70 hour week, you cannot drive until you gain hours back on 8th day recap. or had a 34 hour reset option as in doing no work at all even with your sub shop example until youre off duty 34 hours (Or in sleeper etc for that amount of time)

One final thought, you can deliver a truckload of widgets to Poobah Parts Inc and they can tell you on arrival start unloading it. 48 hours later you are finally done unloading it. You cannot drive again until you have had time off in off duty or sleeper berth and have the hours to start and finish a work day.

Alot of customers will kick drivers out when they find out that the driver is legally unable to drive a inch, forcing some situations where there is no way around calling a tow truck to remove the big rig and it's driver from that property.

 

1) Unless operating under an exception or exemption, Yes. Also keep in mind that HAZMAT comes to play when hauling cars with gasoline over the threshold.

Hot shots have become a huge target for state troopers and other personnel required to conduct a certain amount of LVL 1 DOT inspections per year. Reasons: some operating without CDL, IFTA, DOT#, HOS requirements, etc. Advice to Hotshots, please understand that if you are in interstate commerce you are a commercial driver and have the same requirements.

 

What is the threshold? I was under the impression the amount in most tanks is under the threshold.

 

I went to the FMCSA website just to see for myself...it is still 100 air/nautical miles radius which actually comes out to ~115 land/statute miles to qualify for the short haul exemption. And not more than 12 hours on duty.

Question 12: What constitutes the 100-air-mile radius exemption?

Guidance:

The term “air mile” is internationally defined as a “nautical mile” which is equivalent to 6,076 feet or 1,852 meters. Thus, the 100 air miles are equivalent to 115.08 statute miles or 185.2 kilometers.

 

I have never seen hazmat placards on a car hauler rig. I was under the impression if it was under 119 gallons or so it was not considered hazmat. OEM's I assume can get an exemption for 120-150 gallon diesel tanks for the engine.

 

I don't know why anyone would question the FMCSA writing trucking regulations using an aviation term for a nautical measurement...

 

Sorry, my post was poorly worded and I could not find the edit button. Please allow me to clarify.

Car hauling operations doesn't add carrier or driver responsibilities in terms of endorsements, placarding, etc. I reference it as HAZMAT only in terms of inspections. State/Federal inspectors can use them as part of their annual "required" hazmat stops in order to maintain certification.

This is one of the more difficult tasks for certified DOT inspectors that have to preform "X" amount of inspections because typically non bulk hazmat has some form of "easy pass" to bypass scale houses where the majority of LVL 1 inspections take place. So when a hotshot (or any other car hauler) is spotted, they have bigger targets.