BREAKING NEWS: Proposed HOS rule leaves open for comment 10- or 11-hour driving time,

I posted threads about that last time they had listening sessions. When they were working on this process. Not many commented.
This will be on XM radio begging people to comment. On here, in trucking magazines etc.
Maybe 500 actual drivers will comment. That is about it. And I am actually guessing high. They did not have that many last time.

 

Another fine case of "I have no idea" reporting by SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press.
These are quotes from the yahoo link above;
"The Obama administration has been considering whether to rewrite rules passed in the waning hours of the Bush administration...." Waning hours? These rules have been inflect scene 2005.

"Administration officials have been looking at changes since an October 2009 agreement with safety and labor groups who, in return, shelved a third lawsuit over the rules. Groups have specifically sought the 10-hour limit in the proposed rules."
Maybe truckers should start lawsuit after lawsuit to leave us the hell alone. Its worked for them.

"The Bush administration also cut rest and recovery time at the end of a work week to as little as 34 hours off duty, from the previous guideline of from 50 or more hours."
Anyone have a clue as to what this 50 or more hours is? Before that would have been 2 days and 2 hours off and 2 zeros in the recap that would roll back around in 7 or 8 days.

"Safety groups want a 48-hour rest period. But the Obama administration wants to continue the 34 hour off-duty rule while requiring drivers to have two nights sleep before restarting the clock on a work week that could reach 60 hours of driving."
It still going to be a 34 hour restart BUT within that 34 hours there has to be 2 midnight to 6am nights for it to be counted as a restart and it can only be used once a week. What a freakin joke! Also someone forgot to tell the so called reporter its 70hours in 8 days OR 60hours in 7. What they fail to see is if a driver only drove and never went to line 4(we know that cant be done) you could drive 8 3/4 hours a day and in 8 days be maxed out.

""We are committed to an hours-of-service rule that will help create an environment where commercial truck drivers are rested, alert and focused on safety while on the job," Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood said..."

LaHood like most every one else in Washington aint got a ##### clue how trucking or anything else works. This is the problem in Washington and for the most part in big business too. When you promote people from within any type of business or in this case politics you will have at least someone who should know what makes things work. How many times have we seen someone start out in a company straight out of a high profile college and the company go to hell in a hand basket. The same thing happen when the good ol boys in Washington give there pals a job they have no idea about.

Here is the link from fmcsa http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/hos-proposed/hos-proposed.aspx

Rant over.....

 

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-2004-19608-3508

 

I will probably take the time like last time to write a snail mail letter. I don't understand the limit on restarts, I understand the midnight to 6 thing- politics. If I understand the changes correctly they have just reduced our day to a 13 hour day, but say we still have a fourteen hour day. The 30 minute break after seven hours of driving is a pain and unnecessary. Most drivers take short breaks every three to five hours anyway.

It's just my personal observation, but I think they tried to throw enough bones to Public citizen and the teamsters to keep this out of court, while making the fewest changes possible. I'm not saying I'm happy, but it could have been so much worse.

 

I saw a poster say that this will drive many safe experienced drivers out of the industry. Actually it will not. Those that think they'll leave this industry will face the harsh reality that there is nothing else out there to turn to that pays nearly as much as they will make by staying put. Which is EXACTLY the reason these changes are being shoved down our throats. Like it or not, we are extremely vulnerable at this time. The industry I've been in my entire life has been absolutley crushed in the last 5 years and may never recover. Think long and hard before letting your emotions throw away your livelyhood.

 

I averaged making $75k a year from 1995-2005. I haven't made $75k COMBINED between 2006-2010.

 

Plenty of work around for those that are willing to work and have an open mind in regards to what they will do.
We would not have all the unemployed that we do now if they were not extending unemployment for so long. The lazy saps would have found a new line of work by now.
Sure it may not be in the fields that the people would have chosen. But remember, we are well on our way to being a 3rd world country. And it will only get worse.
The days of this country having a middle class are gone. Get use to it. We are all working poor from now on.

 

Years ago, I lost my nice job during 2002.

I went on unemployment for a couple of months. Nothing in the area except minimum wage.

Ended up taking a job that paid me less than I got on unemployment.

Great for the economy.

So, not everything is what you think it is.

Could you afford to take a job that is a third of what you were making?

 

I'd respectfully disagree with ya CD on the plenty of work around. And for the record, I've never recieved a dime of unemployment. However, as a former employer, I payed in my fare share. The construction industry is D E A D! I don't know how it can possibly be revived with folks income dwindling and banks not lending. Jobs have been steadily pilfered out of our country. I hope somewhere in this country there is real leadership that can turn things around. The Repubs and the Dems refuse to work together to make things happen.

 

Why are the Teamster's to blame for the 2x 12:00-6:00am part of the 34hr restart?
Not wanting to start a pro/anti union thing, just wondering why it is attributed to them and the rational behind the Teamsters wanting it.
Thanks