HOS Confusion with local work?

Hello all. I am new to trucking with only 2 years of experience. I drive a truck and pup for a local material hauler. We work 6 days a week, sometimes up to 80 hours, and over 16 hours at times. For example: I worked 15 hours yesterday and ended at 7 pm. I had a 4:00 am start time, worked another 15 hours and got another 4:00 am start. Is this completely legal or is my company trying to work the system?

 

You can download the free Keeptruckin app on your phone and start your clock when you start duty and manually change your status as you drive and fuel and such. It'll show you if you are in violation.

 

They can work you forever, but you can not legally drive unless you do the dance of hours and breaks.

 

If there is no logbook in sight and only a time clock on your side, there isnt anything illegal here. You might be short on sleep but off you go.

This is not the best way to be trucking. You are probably going to be tired enough and there will be a problem someday if you cannot get rested.

4 am is brutal enough against your body clock of all humans on the planet. But working 15 hours etc is a pretty long day. Ive done it. Local 16 hour flatbed work myself. We had a 10 hour driving limitation in those days but could work more than that on duty. Starting at 3 am and not stopping until 5 pm daily if not a little bit later. Straight home, gulp dinner and off to bed. Bounce out at 1 am and gulp breakfast and off to the truck.

I stopped doing that and transferred to a regional side of the company to get a sleeper truck and run around the american south. If I am going to be putting in those long days, might as well get a sleeper tractor and stay out. Let the truckstops take care of the meals. Go home once a month to pay the rent etc.

 

Local driving jobs can have different HOS rules if you stay close to your terminal. How close, I do not know, because I have never had a job like that. Some other folks here might be able to tell you about local area close haul HOS rules.

 

What state are you in? Some states has HOS rules that apply to intra-state hauling only.

 

They are trying to work you... to death, if you let them.

 

And yet again X1 is completely wrong...
There is, in fact, several laws against this....
Start with FMCSA 395 and go to your state for addition laws.

 

No way! You are kidding aren't you!?

 

"100/150 Air Mile Exemption" is what my company used to keep me out for 14+ hours on local SoCal only runs (LTL).
The 100 air mile exemption is for CDL drivers who:

• Operate within 100 air miles
• Go off duty within 12 hours
• Report back to the same work location every day
• Have at least 10 consecutive hours off before starting their next on-duty period

The 150 air mile exemption is for non-CDL drivers who:

• Operate within 150 air miles
• Do not drive through any state that requires a CDL for the type of vehicle being driven
• Report back to the same work location every day
• Do not drive after the 14th hour of coming on duty in a period of seven consecutive days
• Do not drive after the 16th hour of coming on duty in a period of two consecutive days