Mandatory break during 11 hours driving

To the best of my knowledge, there is no rule in the FMCSA that requires a break during your 11 hrs. However, a DOT officer might question whether or not you really drove 11 hrs straight. One could respond to the officer that they did stop, but the stop took less than 7.5 minutes and therefore didn't require a log entry.

One thing to keep in mind is that your company might require a logged break during your driving day.

 

If youve ever ran with me would find that I can and do run that hard at times. You are however less likely to get questioned if you show a couple of off duty (line 1) and maybe a couple tire or vehicle inspection here or there.

The paperwork is about making DOT happy.. comply its far easier to show them what they want to see, like give up 15 minutes when you fuel. legally you can just flag it, show it with a VI and give them the 15 its time well spent.

 

I have and, when the load allows, prefer to drive 11hrs straight through. The point about making them happy is absolutely correct though. Stop for a bit (usually a bathroom break) and log it as a 15 even if you only stop for 5 min.

Here's the loop: You are not "required" to log a stop if it is less than 7.5 min... But, you CAN! So this will, in effect, give you an extra 10 min of drive time, which will help bring your average speed for the day up.

 

When i stop for a 3 minute pee stop do i have to flag it with the city and state i'm in?

 

You are not required to log a stop if it is less than 7.5 minutes, but you have to note the change of duty and location.

 

I can't drive 11 hours without at least a couple pit stops along the way. Most companies prefer you stop every so often to do a tire check. Most reefer companies require their drivers to check the reefer every 3 or 4 hours.