Hours of service

I have never heard of cycle II before.

 

I want to get some answers about hours of service because I am being asked to falsify my hours by my dispatcher. Is this standard practice in companies just one of those things that you have to deal with in trucking? I was told by the president of my company today that the 36 hours off st the end of eight days is just a suggestion by DOT and is not really mandatory. I just don't like breaking the law and I resent being asked to by my employer but unfortunately I am just starting out and I can't afford to make waves either.

 

If you are out of hours, you are out of hours. If you can't run and your dispatcher wants you to do it, have him/her send it over the qualcomm so you have proof and call up safety. It's a standard practice in trucking. Only YOU can decided to move that truck an inch forward or not.

 

The 34 hour restart is not mandatory. As long as you have hours you can run. I calculated that if a driver worked an average of 8.75 hours (lines 3 and 4) everyday, they would never have to do a 34 hour restart. I worked it that way as much as possible so that the only time I was doing a restart was while I was at home. I also refused to run an illegal log. When I did it, I logged it. Never had a log violation, never had to be looking over my shoulder for DOT and the only concern I had about being pulled into a scale is that maybe I had missed some small item on my pre-trip of the trailer I was hauling.

And, like previously mentioned, when asked to do something illegal, ask for it in writing on the QC. I even heard of a driver who told the dispatcher to send it in writing and then he would show it to DOT at the next scale. He said he was never asked to do something illegal again. A report to safety is the better way to go because that dispatcher may be looking for a new job soon after.

 

Hello Folks, I just started driving again after a 6 year break and have some log book questions.
I work 5 days a week and off on weekends, I drive a day cab. Would I be right in assuming that I am under the 60 hour 7 day rule? And also I drive from Sacramento to Reno 5 days a week so I deal with a lot of snow and chaining. A couple of times it has taken as long as 15 hours to make the trip. Normally this is a 7 to 8 hour round trip. How do I log this without log book violations?
Thanks and any expirienced help is welcome.

 

The 60/7 is based on the company's hours of operation. If they do not operate seven days a week then they have the option of operating under the 60/7 HOS.

Do it in 14 hours (with 11 hours driving).

 

The rule you are under regarding your 60 is up to your company, ask them.

As far as your 15 hours, legally you are supposed to stop at 11 hours, or continue TO a safe spot to stop where you can take your 10. In your case, that would be a motel. And it would have to be logged as such, off duty in a motel.

You are playing with fire on this one, 15 hours, especially in this nasty weather we are all getting. This ain't the old days out here where we could get away with stuff like that. Does your company have any trucks with sleepers? That would be your best and safest bet. Because God forbid you were to get into an accident and it is discovered that you should have been on your 10 hour break, weather or not. Not good.

Mike

 

Your employer should be able to tell you whether to use the 60/7 or 70/8 rule . As a rule if the company has a 7 day a week operation all drivers use the 70/8 rule .
FMCSR allow you to extend the 11 driving hours for as much as 2 hours if you were delayed by adverse conditions like bad weather or a road blocked by an accident . However , the circumstances have to be unexpected . If there is a snowstorm predicted and you choose to drive into it you don't get the extra hours . No circumstances allow you to extend the 14 hour limit . If you 2 hours on duty already you only have 12 left and can only extend the driving by 1 hour .
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.asp?section=395.1#