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

Just remember the ATA is the reason we need hos in the first place. These guys represent trucking companies not drivers. Personally I don't care for the so called safety groups that keep suing until they get their way even though they know nothing about trucking, or the ATA who represent companies that want to run their drivers into the ground without regard to driver health or safety. For that reason I don't believe a word coming out of the mouths of either side.

I agree that fmcsa has just added another level of confusion to the whole hos issue. Having said that I will take what the rule actually says, not the ATA's interpretation since they are looking for an excuse to file a lawsuit. Their claim that we have to take a 60 minute break in the middle of the day is just as bogus as the claim that we can currently drive 77 hours in a week. When did the truth ever stop a lawyer.

Stopping for 30 minutes after driving for 7 is going to be a pain, but I can already see how drivers will make it work. They will take a fifteen minute break after 3.5 hours drive another 3.5 hours and log both breaks as a single half hour. The other half hour will be while sitting at a dock waiting to get loaded or on a drop and hook, log 30 minutes on duty not driving and 30 minutes off duty.

 

The real question is after all the changes are approved and implemented;Will the various so called "Safety Groups" become appeased or; will they go after more more rigorous rules?

Public citizen for an example originally wanted the French model for HOS.....

 

From what I've seen I like the changes. If we are not going to have graduated requirements based on experience and safety record then we have to factor in the the lowest common denominator and protect the new guys.

 

These rules will have both Public Citizen and the ATA suing the FMCSA. Neither group is happy. Don't bother to talk to us drivers, we don't know anything about fatigue. (Note said with tongue firmly planted in cheek.)

 

Just park at Starbucks and go inside and enjoy a latte. I'm sure they won't mind.

Pay no attention to the sound of crunching metal and glass when you pull in--it's just an 8 series Beemer caught in your dolly. It'll break loose eventually.

 

Several other points are in the proposal as well and getting no comment time here.

The fines for violations are going way up, if the officer thinks it is a bad violation. Meaning going over hours by 2 hours or more and other things. Many times these violations are paper work related, but the fines are like 2,400 bucks under this.

Another is the change in the definition of "On Duty"
Gone will be the days of being on line 1 or 2 at a shipper while you are waiting to get loaded.
This is the new definition.

§395.2 Definitions. ​

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]

* * * * *
On-duty time means all time from the time a driver begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work. On-duty time shall include: ​

(1) All time at a plant, terminal, facility, or other property of a motor carrier or shipper, or on any public property, waiting to be dispatched, unless the driver has been relieved from duty by the motor carrier;
[/FONT][/FONT]

 

Um, CD, isn't that part of the old definition of ODND? Man, I violated that one wholesale! Those fines are ridiculous. "Waiting to be dispatched." I never logged that--my dispatches just magically appeared out of thin air while I was Off Duty or in the sleeper!

 

Sounds like time to hand the keys over to a migrant freight relocator. This American is getting awfully FN tired of the bull$##* regulations and I'm thinking it might be one of those jobs I "won't do".

 

OOIDA was on Landline now last night, along with some other woman,,claims I think.
Anyway, they explained everything that was/is being PROPOSED by the FMCSA. I don't like any of it and I firmly believe a lot of it will not go through. Like the 34hr restart, got to have two nights logged between the hours of midnight and 06:00...how the hell is that going to work for night drivers, let alone for teams...? One thing I did like was the PROPOSED 8/2 split, you can actually spend 2 hrs in pass seat if your a team operation. But personnally, I like the HOS just the way they are...

CM, they stated on LandLine Now that it would be 3 hrs or more over your 14 and it would be a $2700 fine....I would have to quit trucking right than and there.

SheepDog

 

Wonder how co's will respond to this, a quallcom message of "relief" from duty?

Sounds like no more 15 on line 4 while at the same location.

Now that will cut some serious trucking capacity.