I Drive A Bus In Montana. What Are The HOS Rules?

If Montana has its own rules for intrastate, then you need to find those...otherwise, it would likely mirror the federal regs. For passenger vehicles, that means a 15 hour WORK day (only work activities count against this clock, off duty time does NOT count against you). Maximum 10 hours of DRIVE time. 8 hour break to reset your daily clocks. Still operate under the same 60/7 or 70/8 week, depending upon if the carrier runs 7 days per week or not (carrier designates that).

If you operate inside of the 100 air-mile radius (which it sounds like you do), you're exempt from keeping a log book, provided you return to your starting location and are released within 12 hours. If you work past the 12th hour, you're supposed to fill out a log book.

The other thing to consider is if it is a city-owned operation, many of the regs may not apply (including HOS), as government entities are generally exempt from the FMCSA regulations. Depending upon the jurisdiction, that may even extend to companies operating under exclusive contract with a municipal government.

At any rate, the likelihood of your being harassed by DOT along your route within that 20 mile radius are slim-to-none. The LAST thing a commanding officer wants to do is field a phone call from a PO'd state legislator or city/county official following several complaints from passengers who were late because the bus they were on (or waiting for) was detained for an hour to perform a random roadside inspection...great way to see budgets cut and limits placed upon when/where/how inspections may be performed.

 

Yes, if you work for a municipal government or a multi-county transit authority, you are exempt from HOS, and as far as the Feds are concerned, your employer can stick in in as far as they wish, and break it off to any length that suits them.

I'm a recent refugee from city buses. If your relief driver didn't show up, you had to keep driving until they did, or until they got an extra board driver to catch up with you.

In the rare but certainly possible occurrence that no extra was available, well.....enjoy your double shift. Of course, all of the 2nd eight hours was time and a half, with an additional 4 hours at time and a half "penalty pay".

Then by contract they HAD to give you a 10 hour uninterrupted break, as opposed to the regular 8 hour break.

So, not many drivers complained about such a scenario. I know I sure didn't. Kinda miss it sometimes, but transit has gotten weirder over the last 10 years. Same as everywhere else, I guess.

 

Call
Your local trooper office and/or state dot they'll be more than happy to help you.

 

What city or town in Montana do you drive the transit bus for? If you choose not to say where, I do understand.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

Yesterday in Nashville, Greyhound had 3 buses out of service from lack of drivers. Some people waited 12 hours at the station.

 

Intrastate is defined as picking up and delivering anywhere inside the borders of your state.

If you are picking up passengers for wages and running a commercial vehicle bus for hire over a certain capacity then you have many similarities as we truckers do because your industry is regulated at the Federal Level as well.

I am not a motor coacher. I had exactly one interview and that one was a display of how a bus owner can (And a yankee to boot) show discrimination for those otherwise qualified with hearing. I once had been part of a church bus where we had one capable of taking 50 souls back in the day and get that going. But ultimately it was much much cheaper and faster to get 3 little vans anyone can drive at any time without special stuff like CDL, Passenger endorsements etc.