Diary of a current Swifty

Short answer- yes.

Long answer- I won't. I'll explain why.

There are two basic ways of working the HOS 70 hour rule. You can work your buns off for about 6 days, then take a restart. This works well for drivers who go home every week. They work hard, then take a day off at home, then go back and work hard again.

The other way is my way. Average less than 9 hours a day and work seven days a week. This keeps the 70 rolling with no need for a restart. I find this works better for me. It gives me more time off in a day to get some exercise, sleep in (I need a lot of sleep) relax with a good book, etc. The downside is that you will actually work less in a week this way. Taking a restart allows more miles in a week than not restarting. It's not a big difference, though.

Every driver is different, and every driver finds what works best for him/her. Just do some experimenting when you get started and see how it goes. And keep in mind, your flexibilty will be limited by the customers demands. Even though I prefer working shorter days, I have done many rush loads and worked many 14 hour days. But when I have a choice, I stretch out a load.

Another thought, if you do want to rush a load and get a restart, drive as far as you can first, then do the restart close to the delivery. $^*! happens, and you may need the extra time to have a blowout fixed or wait out bad weather or some other delay.

 

Yes, there's a rider program, but I'm not sure of the details