Hot Shot team drivers, why can they not sleep in the pickup?

I think a better question would be why are you trying to use a hotshot for a team operation? And where did you get that 78" number from?

 

Assuming you are subject to FMCSA rules:

Fourteen between the two drivers assuming both drivers come on duty at the same time. The first driver can drive for up to 11 hours and the second driver can drive the remaining time, but once you reach the end of your 14-hour clocks you are done. At that point, both drivers will require 10 hours off-duty in order to be able to drive again.

Because it doesn't qualify as a sleeper.

Because those are the rules... although it is 75" if vehicle manufactured after September 30, 1975 (§393.76 Sleeper berths).

There is no real advantage to having a second driver if you do not have a qualifying sleeper.

 

Who cares what he's trying to do? As long as his not breaking any laws and can find drivers willing to do it, I don't see any wrong doing.

 

While it didn't qualify as a sleeper, there isn't any rule that says all 10hr off duty has to be in a sleeper or motel. As long as he's not sitting on drivers seat, he can just log off duty while the other driver drives.

 

And when you find anywhere that I posted anything that says "all 10hr off duty has to be in a sleeper or motel" then you might have a valid point, but you won't because I didn't say that.

The drivers are required to have 10 hours off-duty. Where and how they do it is up to them... so long as they don't claim sleeper berth.

No, he cannot.

§395.2 Definitions

On-duty time means all time from the time a driver begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work. On-duty time shall include:

(4) All time in or on a commercial motor vehicle, other than:

(i) Time spent resting in or on a parked vehicle, except as otherwise provided in §397.5 of this subchapter;

(ii) Time spent resting in a sleeper berth; or

(iii) Up to 2 hours riding in the passenger seat of a property-carrying vehicle moving on the highway immediately before or after a period of at least 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth;
​

Since the vehicle is moving, (i) is disqualified. Since there is no qualifying sleeper, (ii) is disqualified, nor can either driver even claim the 2 hours allowed under (iii).

 

There are set ups to make it legal to sleep in your truck. I think this is the website I saw mentioned on this site. Make sure it is actually compliant before dishing out the cash. Woodhouse

 

Because sleepers are built for human habitation to sleep.

Back seats of pickups are not. What you can do is kit build sleepers onto the area where there was a back seat in that part of the cab.

 

Those look compliant to me, crash netting etc. You would have to work on the small stuff like curtains and window shades etc to make a dark environment for sleeping by day.