HOS and fatigue

Simple look in the offices the majority of the office space is filled with people that have alot of book learning but little to no experience out on the road.

I think the best way to answer this dinomite is point by point.

1. I guess you've never worked a hotshot or just in time contract? Both involve precision timing and pay big but also have huge fines attached for being late (and in a few cases early)

2. Great I know mine unfortunately what do I do when the appointment time is at 2:30 am? (the middle of my normal sleep cycle)

3. So the real world screws with a theory created by someone with no practical experience so I should go flip burgers?

4. E logs aren't the problem, the rules are the problem. Not just the 14 hour rule or the 30 min break or 70 hours but the entirety of them combined makes for a real problem. Do you know how many hours on-duty and/or driving you can have max per day to never use a reset? 8.75 and that leaves you with a half hour play time for parking hunting. That son is a boat load of sitting on your keester. If you use the reset you can, if barely, run 11 hours because it has to be a full 7 days to the quarter hour between resets (to the minute on e-log). Do the math and you actually sit as much if not more using the resets. Now add in the fact that you need 2 1am-5am periods for the reset to count you could be sitting as much as 50.75 hours straight for that reset if you have the bad luck to finish at 1:15 am (1:01 on e-log) cause then that period doesn't count.

5. Please God let that be as much sarcasm as it sounds

 

I sleep and run just fine with these new rules. The 30 minute break is my only gripe. It serves no purpose and we gain nothing from it. Other than that I'm fine with them. I run Elogs too. Still pull 2700-3000 miles a week so yes it can be done.

 

I guess we should all be robots?
I can make a better decision than some dip in a office in Washington.

 

I'll bet those drivers that fell asleep and ran over a van and bus full of kids thought that too. There's a reason rules are implemented.

 

That doesnt solve anything. The 14 is the problem. You just want more driving time. Changing the 11 hour rule doesnt make you safer. Changing the 14, 8 and 70 may.

 

They should give us 14 hours to do what ever we want with within a 24 hour period. Then you shut down for 10. Simple, easy and your still in control but still regulated.

 

the old rules. prior to 2004. they weren't broken in the first place and worked JUST FINE. the 34 would be an added bonus. per, the old way. 2012.

you drove 10 hours, on duty 15 hours, and slept 8 hours. BUT YOU COULD SPLIT. 5/4/5/4 and so on. and never be an accident.

 

I wouldn't when mind the 14 rule so much if you could split. Like someone said before, spend the hours tarping on a90 degree day. Does it make me unsafe to drive at that point? No but I'd be a Hell of a lot safer if I could take the time to grab a shower to perk me back to that full alert status. How is being more safe a bad thing?

 

My Congressman Tom Rice (SC) co-sponsored a bill to revert back to the prior rules until more study is done on the new reset rules.

I wrote to thank him and I added something I've been saying for years to anyone that would listen.

The simple (therefore it will never be done) and best way to relieve the pressures of HOS on a driver is to allow 11 hours of driving during any 24 hour period ANY WAY the driver needs to do it. This allows him time to have a sit down meal to not stress shipper and receiver delays and traffic and road work worries.

11 driving hours within 24 and still a 10 hr break between the end of one 11 hours accrued and the start of a new.

No required break because with this rule drivers could take a cat nap whenever they want or relax and still get the day's driving done.

The 14 hour rule is the enemy of drivers and safety!

Example: You have a firm delivery appointment the third morning from dispatch day. You have 1400 miles to travel in 2 days before the appointment. You know you must drive 700 each day to get there.

OK, now life happens and you have a cold or you don't feel well and when you've driven 550 miles you get tired or sleepy. Problem is you were delayed at the live load and there was the normal Arkansas I 40 construction delay and now you only have 3 hours remaining on your 14 hour clock. So, being the good and dependable driver that your company expects you push yourself to drive the last 150 miles...one day you may not last and you'll be like the poor guys that ran off the mountain or crashed into a tree.

Under the practical and simple rule I suggested you could have taken a nap and refreshed yourself for that last 150 mile leg.

Again, I know this will never, ever, be enacted by FMCSA because it makes too much commonsense.

My advice to everyone behind the wheel is if you're sleepy park the truck and rest, period. No matter what your logbook will allow for...when they pull you from the cab they won't be impressed when they see you were 'driving legal' and holding true to their deadly 14 hour window.

I'm not a know-it-all but I do know that as drivers we provide for others through our work and sacrifice. If we fall asleep at the wheel we won't be there for those who love and need us.

 

As others have pointed out, HOS rules have little to nothing to do with safety. Then why have them? Revenue... Interestingly, a candid talk with Mn DOT almost a year ago about the new half hour break rule in 8 hours was quite enlightening. When asked what the whole thing was about he replied, "Do you want an answer we are suppose to tell you, or the truth". I say, "the truth of course". DOT officer states, "The new break thing is about revenue, it's one more thing we can catch you guys on if not done properly". "Wait a minute", I say... "What are you suppose to tell us it's about"? DOT officer says, "Safety, of course".