A day in the Life of a Daycab Driver

kdryan · Nov 17, 2010

My Day Today:

Went to the yard to pick up the truck and a trainee. The Trainee didn't show.

Was a half-hour late leaving because I was waiting on the trainee.

Got to load and it started raining. COLD rain.

Got a call from dispatch telling me to drop the trailer at a local Wal Mart, zip down about 40 miles out of my way and pick up another trailer, it was an emergency, so I just had to hurry!

Drove said 40 mile in freezing rain in a daycab bobtail, which is not as fun as you might think.

Got to the place and waited for them to load the 'emergency' trailer I had to rush down there for.

Got the trailer loaded and had the pleasure of hooking the thing up and closing the doors in POURING freezing rain.

Headed to Chicago in aforementioned rain. Fortunately, the rain stopped somewhere around Warsaw.

Got to a certain automobile plant and found that out of three docks, one was broken, one in use, and one blocked by a broken down rig with trailer.

Got halfway backed in finally when cool forklift guy rushes out and tells me I have to go to the other dock because that's where that stuff goes.

Got backed into the other dock when douchebag forkilift guy comes out and starts yelling I need to move over one door because that door is reserved for a certain company.

Moved to the other door, unhooked the trailer and called dispatch to tell them what a douchebag the douchebag forklift driver at dock 2 was being, how he didn't seem in any hurry to unload me and probably wouldn't because he is... You guessed it; a douchebag. Also told them I was running low on hours I could legally work.

Got a call back from dispatch telling me to head back over to the first dock to be unloaded there.

Got back to the first dock, unhooked the trailer, and went in to find cool forklift guy was on break and wouldn't be back for 20 minutes (union shop).

While waiting for cool forklift guy, another driver from our company showed up with a dropdeck trailer but couldn't get in because he couldn't get around the broken rig from Brand X.

Broken Rig guy manages to get his tractor separated from the trailer (still blocking the dropdeck door) and I was already unhooked, so I volunteer to back his trailer in for him just to get his crap out of the way for our guy.

Called Dispatch back to let them know I was getting REALLY low on hours. They were less than sympathetic.

Cool forklift guy get's back from break and starts unloading my trailer. When he's done, he tells me that all of this stuff needs to go to the other dock next time.

I finally get out of a certain automobile plant and call the dispatcher to let him know I was going to be REALLY,REALLY close on hours by the time I got back. 'Oh well...'

Get back to the yard 15 minutes after my time runs out, officially making me bust my 14 hour legal limit for the first time since I got my license.

Had to find my original trailer and hook it up again before I could go home.

Still want to drive a truck?

Some days you get the bear, some days the bear gets you...

REDD · Nov 17, 2010

Sounds like a good day to me. Try real trucking once!

kdryan · Nov 17, 2010

This IS real trucking. Any schlep can get a rig out on the interstate and find his way from point A to point B. It takes a REAL driver to be able to drive on city streets.

HoosierHunter · Nov 17, 2010

I live in Indiana and we didn't have any freezing rain yesterday it was a cold rain but not freezing.

jgremlin · Nov 17, 2010

kdryan said: ↑

Get back to the yard 15 minutes after my time runs out, officially making me bust my 14 hour legal limit for the first time since I got my license.
Click to expand...

Isn't there an exception in the HOS rules for local drivers that allows them to drive 15 or 16 hours one day a week?

walleye · Nov 17, 2010

jgremlin said: ↑

Isn't there an exception in the HOS rules for local drivers that allows them to drive 15 or 16 hours one day a week?
Click to expand...

Yes there is a local driver 16 hour exemption,...

The driver has to have started and finished at the same location for the previous 7 days,...(I think it's 7 days,...something like that anyway)

And the driver can only work up to 16 hours,.......But CAN NOT EXCEED 11 HOURS DRIVING,....

And the driver will need a 10 hour break before the next shift,...

At least that is how I understand it,...

Someone with more ambition than I have this morning can look it up at the FMCSA website if they want,...

kdryan · Nov 17, 2010

HoosierHunter said: ↑

I live in Indiana and we didn't have any freezing rain yesterday it was a cold rain but not freezing.
Click to expand...

You're about ten miles from me! Sorry, bad context. I meant freezing as in 'I am freezing my but off in this rain.' It was worse over in Ohio...

kdryan · Nov 17, 2010

From the FMCSA Website FAQ...

E. 16-HOUR EXCEPTION
E-1. What is a "duty tour" as the term is used in Part § 395.1(o)?

The 16-hour exemption in § 395.1(o) is designed for one-day "duty tours." The duty tour is the interval between the time a driver comes on-duty and is released from duty on a daily basis. This period begins and ends at the driver's normal work reporting location and may only be used following 10 or more consecutive hours off-duty, 10 or more consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, or a combination of 10 or more consecutive hours off-duty and sleeper berth time.
E-2. If a driver is "on duty, not driving" during the 15th and 16th hour of his duty tour and does not drive after that, has he used the 16-hour exception in § 395.1(o)?

No. Example: If a driver was on duty 16 hours on Wednesday, but didn't drive after being on duty 14 hours, could the driver use the 16 hour extension on Friday and be allowed to drive after the 14th hour as long as all other conditions and regulations

(11-, 16-, and 60/70- hour rules) were met?

In this scenario, the driver may choose to use the 16-hour extension on Friday as long as the driver meets all of the requirements for the 16-hour exception outlined in Part § 395.1(o) and also remains in compliance with Part § 395.3(a)(1) and Part § 395.3(b). Although the 16 hours on-duty on Wednesday will count toward the driver's 60/70 calculations, the driver has not utilized the 16-hour exception unless the driver has actually driven after the 14 th hour.
E-3. May a driver having more than one work reporting location use the § 395.1(o), 16-hour exception?

As stated in § 395.1(o) and current § 395.1 Interpretation Question 15, a driver having more than one work reporting location could use the § 395.1(o) 16-hour exception; however, its availability would be limited by the requirement of

§ 395.1(o)(1) that the "carrier released the driver from duty at that location for the previous five duty tours the driver has worked..." A driver alternating between two normal work locations on a weekly basis would not be able to utilize the exception unless he worked six days per week, and then the exception could only be used on the sixth day.
E-4. May a driver utilize the adverse driving rule, which extends the driving time by two additional hours, in conjunction with the 16-hour exception?

No. A driver may not use the exception for adverse driving conditions while also using the 16-hour exception for property-carrying drivers. Section 395.1(b)(1)(ii) of the adverse driving conditions exception specifically states that a property-carrying driver may not drive or be permitted to drive after he/she has been on-duty after the end of the 14 th hour after coming on-duty following 10 consecutive hours off-duty.
E-5. When the "16 hour exception" is used, may sleeper berth periods or extended off-duty periods be included in the "duty tour?" How does this affect team drivers?

The § 395.1(o) exception for property-carrying drivers is for drivers who return to the normal work reporting location and are released from duty at the end of each of the previous 5 duty tours. The use of 10 consecutive hours off duty or the equivalent (sleeper berth, off duty, or any allowable combination thereof) before returning to the work reporting location would interrupt the duty tour, and the driver would not be eligible to use the 16-hour exception that day or again until after 5 or more duty tours when the driver did return to the work reporting location.
Click to expand...

kdryan · Nov 17, 2010

From the FMCSA Website FAQ...

E. 16-HOUR EXCEPTION
E-1. What is a "duty tour" as the term is used in Part § 395.1(o)?

The 16-hour exemption in § 395.1(o) is designed for one-day "duty tours." The duty tour is the interval between the time a driver comes on-duty and is released from duty on a daily basis. This period begins and ends at the driver's normal work reporting location and may only be used following 10 or more consecutive hours off-duty, 10 or more consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, or a combination of 10 or more consecutive hours off-duty and sleeper berth time.
E-2. If a driver is "on duty, not driving" during the 15th and 16th hour of his duty tour and does not drive after that, has he used the 16-hour exception in § 395.1(o)?

No. Example: If a driver was on duty 16 hours on Wednesday, but didn't drive after being on duty 14 hours, could the driver use the 16 hour extension on Friday and be allowed to drive after the 14th hour as long as all other conditions and regulations

(11-, 16-, and 60/70- hour rules) were met?

In this scenario, the driver may choose to use the 16-hour extension on Friday as long as the driver meets all of the requirements for the 16-hour exception outlined in Part § 395.1(o) and also remains in compliance with Part § 395.3(a)(1) and Part § 395.3(b). Although the 16 hours on-duty on Wednesday will count toward the driver's 60/70 calculations, the driver has not utilized the 16-hour exception unless the driver has actually driven after the 14 th hour.
E-3. May a driver having more than one work reporting location use the § 395.1(o), 16-hour exception?

As stated in § 395.1(o) and current § 395.1 Interpretation Question 15, a driver having more than one work reporting location could use the § 395.1(o) 16-hour exception; however, its availability would be limited by the requirement of

§ 395.1(o)(1) that the "carrier released the driver from duty at that location for the previous five duty tours the driver has worked..." A driver alternating between two normal work locations on a weekly basis would not be able to utilize the exception unless he worked six days per week, and then the exception could only be used on the sixth day.
E-4. May a driver utilize the adverse driving rule, which extends the driving time by two additional hours, in conjunction with the 16-hour exception?

No. A driver may not use the exception for adverse driving conditions while also using the 16-hour exception for property-carrying drivers. Section 395.1(b)(1)(ii) of the adverse driving conditions exception specifically states that a property-carrying driver may not drive or be permitted to drive after he/she has been on-duty after the end of the 14 th hour after coming on-duty following 10 consecutive hours off-duty.
E-5. When the "16 hour exception" is used, may sleeper berth periods or extended off-duty periods be included in the "duty tour?" How does this affect team drivers?

The § 395.1(o) exception for property-carrying drivers is for drivers who return to the normal work reporting location and are released from duty at the end of each of the previous 5 duty tours. The use of 10 consecutive hours off duty or the equivalent (sleeper berth, off duty, or any allowable combination thereof) before returning to the work reporting location would interrupt the duty tour, and the driver would not be eligible to use the 16-hour exception that day or again until after 5 or more duty tours when the driver did return to the work reporting location.
Click to expand...

kdryan · Nov 17, 2010

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrguide.aspx?section_type=A

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