HOS 8 hour rule question

No, its "no more than 8 hours without a 30 minute break". From when you come on duty/driving you start your 8 hour clock. Wait until you've been on for more than 3 hours, take your break, then drive out the remaining part of your 11. Remember that you can take your break at a customer location now whether or not you would technically have to stay on duty.

 

They get you because the regulation reads that a 30 minute break is required after being on duty, driving, at 8 hours from the end of your last qualified break of 30 minutes or sleeper.

 

The rule is after 3 hours, before 8 hours on duty, you take a 30 minute break before driving again.

If you work for another 8 hours on duty, you must take another 30 minute break before driving again.

I've been popped for this by safety a couple times on particularly long days but hopefully it has been drilled into me now.

EDIT: just to clarify, by on duty, I mean line 3 and line 4.

 

According to NY DOT i had to take a 30 minute break every 8 hours...Depending on my first break,determined if i needed another one...In my case he said i needed another one..I started my day at 7AM and worked till 10AM..I then took a 30 minute off duty and kept riding the rest of the 11..

He wrote me up because i went over the 8 hours later in that day...He said i needed to ''DO IT AGAIN''...

 

The countdown to violation of the 8 starts as soon as u go on duty. If you take your half hour break between the 6th and 8th hour of your day u should be fine. If u take it any earlier you risk having to take another half hour break when your 8 expires again

 

Everybody is saying Yes...

once you drop to line 3 or 4 you start the 8 hour clock. If you take a break within the first 3 hours, then when you drop to line 3 or 4 again, the 8 hour clock starts again.

midnight - line 4.
0015 - line 3.
0200 - line 1/2 - 30 min break.
0230 - line 3 or 4.
1030 - time for another 30 min break.

14 hour - 8 hour = 6 hour..

If you take a break at the 6th hour or later then you will need only one 30 min break.

If you take at 3 hours, you can drive for 8 hours without another break, but remember line 4 is also included in the clock.

 

you can take it earlier then 6 hours. you DON'T want to take it earlier then 3 hours. if you plan on driving the full 11. if you only plan on working 8 hours. then take it whenever you want.

it's really not a hard concept. 8 hours you need a break. take it too early. then you have to take another break. or just call it a day. shouildn't be that hard to figure out. specially if your running with a machine. that thing will tell you right there.

 

So to summarize let me see if I've got this correct.

If you only want to take ONE 30-minute break in the day, and you are trying to maximize your 11, you don't take your break before 3 hours of driving.

If you are trying to maximize your 14, you don't take your break before 6 hours of combined driving/on duty, however you'll need to take the break before 8 hours combined.

Correct?

 

Yes. And no.

You could start you day by driving 7 hours and then work another 7 on line 4 without taking a 30 minute break.

You could drive for 7 and then go to line 4 for another 5 hours and be perfectly legal. Once you have gone 8 hours without a break of at least 30 minutes you cannot drive until you take the half hour break but you can be on duty not driving.