Continuous Driving

You think I haven't been in the same position?

I was questioned why I only flag them. I asked nicely for the regulation that showed I MUST show 15 minutes. We then got into a nice discussion about how long it REALLY takes to do a proper inspection.

He was just fine with me after that.

It's HOW you approach it. Sometimes you realize you can have a conversation, so you have the conversation. Other times, you realize it's best to just sit, smile and nod.

But NEVER just roll over.

 

It's as easy to defend with any number of trucks.

So long as YOU have a policy and adhere to it religiously.

 

People have been trying to figure out continuous driving since HOS came into being.

You either are on-duty (either driving or not) 8.75 hour and have continuous hours, or you realize that sometimes you'd have a 5 hour day letting you work more the next.

It's always been a drivers balancing act. Has been since I started driving in 1990. Hasn't changed 20 some years later either.

The rest of it is just people ####### with the system and putting THEIR spin on what needs to be done.

 

Seriously? YOU started the topic......

You are also requiring them to burn up 30 minutes a day ON-DUTY for a pre and post trip. That leaves them 15 minutes to show for fuel. Leaving them EXACTLY 8 hours to complete their driving ONLY.

Now, add in traffic delays, loading and unloading.

Yop, they are really going to make ground driving.

 

so let's break this down.

The new HOS says you can't have 8 continuous hours since last sleeper berth or off-duty time.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=395.3
Emphasis is mine

That means, he starts his pretrip at 7 am (just a time I grabbed). At 7:15 AM (Because YOU require him to log a pretrip), he starts to drive. NO LATER than 3 PM that day, your driver HAS to show the start of a 30 minute break.
(Good luck finding anything in the interpretation on that part too.)http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu...fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=395.3&guidence=Y

So, should they just stop driving now at 8 hours on-duty time for the day? or should they go on? They've only driven 7 3/4 hours so far. At best, that's 500 miles if they get on the big road and can set the cruise at 65 mph and leave it. Even less if they stop for a rest break, slow for a scale, traffic etc. They still have 3/4 of an hour. 15 minutes of that for fueling and 15 of that for a post-trip.

All if that want to run continuously and not have to take a reset or have hours constantly for a recap.

 

All of that is if the stops are exactly at those points. There are tons of truck stops all over, however, they aren't a mile apart at every exit, and depending on location/time of day maybe full.