FMCSA Issues Clarifying Regulatory Guidance for Personal Conveyance

I don't see any of it.

You're at a shipper for 5 or 6 hours.
Now you're told "go".
So, you drive 25 miles to the pilot on PC.
Now, do you sit there for 3-1/2 hours, or do you sit there for another 10.

Even split sleeper is 8 uninterrupted.

But because the shippers and distributors, and most of all the Amazon's, have to actually plan, or had to, 3 to 7 uninterrupted is ok?

Or do you now have a 16 hour break?

 

Mockery to be sure. As afar as the HOS, it changes nothing. Provided the carrier did not try to tell dumb driver to pre position furhter down the highway way past 10 truckstops to be ready to load in the AM.

As far as the law enforcement not able to understand what is or what is not this praticular action does only one thing. Tells them hands off the trucker at all times UNLESS that trucker such as myself is parked on a specifically signed public road in N. Brandford CT across from the 76 and trying to sleep. The local law hate that.

Or another time I made 5 policemen wait next to my rig that managed to sit a steer on a mashed no parking signs. (I did that on purpose, signs were already on the ground. Drives were on three more. He he...) They have every right to write the ticket they did. I paid it on the spot it was worth the entertainment value to me watching them fume and wait while I calmly eat a complete 4 course meal in the 76 there almost three hours. he he. Im so bad.

 

I guess alot of that would depend on how many hours you had left when you got to the shipper, were yo almost out, or did you just start your day? Makes a difference.

 

If you're at a shipper or receiver for 5 or 6 hrs, hopefully you're getting detention pay.

But on the HOS aspect, if I'm at the shipper or receiver I'm in sleeper berth status.

If they take 6 hours, I'm squeezing an additional 2 hours there to complete the split berth, if it's important to me.

If not, I'm going pc off-duty driving to park, complete the addition 4 to 5 hrs off to complete the 10 hour break. Pretty simple, really.

The obvious consequences for a driver on elogs has been that after 5 or 6 hours of sitting waiting to be loaded or unloaded, if told he has to move on, he loses any off duty time counted against his break and has to start it all over once he moves.

Unfortunately, nothing much will change for the driver on elogs unless his/her company allows for personal conveyance.

 

No you can't stay at shipper or receiver, you must leave.
Where does it say that PC time now counts as part of your 10?
It certainly does not count toward any of the eight in a split sleeper.
And it's nearest safe place, not nearest convenient safe place.
So the Love's that's 24 miles the wrong way, is still closer than the Pilot that's 30 miles away in the direction you're headed.

 

You're considered OFF DUTY. That's why FMCSA clarified the rule.

If you want to show it as on-duty and restart your 8 or 10 hour break, more power to you, Dave

That ain't how and never has been the way I roll using elogs.

Besides, if you don't know how to squeeze an additional couple of hours at the shipper or receiver to complete a split berth, that's on you LOL

 

I'm not real sure I'm fully understanding what was supposed to have been accomplished other than maybe - instead of a violation, it's NOT a violation? ... as long as it's properly documented? Does this just apply if you have to go past your 14, or what about the 8 or the 11 or the 70?



Anyway, no doubt certain guys are going to exploit the hell out of this, whatever it is.

 

Clarified what? What did they clarify?

You also have now driven 24 miles the wrong way to the Love's, and oh shuck darn, it's full.

Do you keep driving the wrong way, or turn around and drive back past the shipper and go to the Pilot, and oh shuck darn, it's full too.

Now you have 35 minutes of PC left, you've driven an extra 50 miles, and you're no better off than when you were at the shipper.

So now what? Nearest safe off ramp?

This ammendment was thought up by someone that has never driven a 100 feet as a truck, let alone one that doesn't operate in fantasy land.

You could have just gone to the Pilot, but you're getting a level 3 in Montana by somebody that's having a bad day, he sees your PC time, pulls out his phone and goes "Ok Google, truck stops near scooters BOL."
Then asks why didn't you go to the Love's sir?

Enjoy your 10 at the coup now.

 

The underlying emphasis of the rule used to be if you were empty & moving in the direction of another load, that counted against on-duty drive time. FMCSA seems to have compromised some on the interpretation of the rule in order to show how magnaminous and gracious they are

 

There is no mileage or time stipulation attached to the guidance, and the guy they interviewed on road dog said that fmcsa did not want to attach those tothe guidance and force drivers into a bottleneck