New Hours Of Service

This will ONLY promote O/O drivers to speed everywhere they go.

Rolling the Smashed Pumpkin

 

And this my friends is where the govt argument is FATALLY FLAWED using the possible new rules--u take off 2 overnites--get urself on a daytime cycle--then start @5am--&continue to back ur startime up 1.5-2.5 hours a day--u basically by day 3 are on 3d shift-and move into a 2d shift sched till u hit 70--then u do a reset--and try to get ur body back on a dayshift sleep cycle all over again--its a total freaking nightmare scenario--ask any nurse cop etc--who has ever done swing shifts......
Just more feel good safety PR from the dot to make John q public thing the govt is looking out for us--what horse####

 

Look at it from their point of view. If you are at the dock, they believe it should be on duty time.

If you are waiting for a load, they believe it should be on duty time.

They want to get the drivers onto a schedule that remains the same for them with no altered times to the day or night shift.

Looks good on paper.

 

Only ignorance promotes any driver to speed up . I don't think you're speaking for REAL O/O's anyway .

 

Most of this post relies on a very weak argument of "if you know how to schedule your trips, you'll have no problem". While that may be true for a dedicated route, it makes little sense to state such when speaking of the vast majority of the trucking industry. The vast majority of this OTR industry involves irregular routes, has irregular pick-up and delivery times, and sees actual work time during the 24 hour period change from day to day.

The schedule is not the same day 1 to day 2 and vary rarely is the same twice in a week. To expect unmovable blocks of time to dictate when we can and when we cannot work is unreasonable. The 34 hour restart is, to be as polite as I can, retarded. Expanding the 34 hour restart to include two periods of 1am-5am is, to be as polite as I can, going beyond retarded.

To say none are saying when we can, or cannot drive is, to be as polite as I can, wrong. The vast majority of your last paragraph is not only wrong but not realistic. And to end your "doc" parable, the patient said "but Doc, I gotta breath". We have to deal with ever changing traffic, ever changing weather, human issues, breakdowns, flats, construction, losing half hour because someone blocked the entrance to the pickup, losing half hour searching for a trailer which doesnt exist because the shipper put the wrong trailer number on the BOL, losing 3 hours waiting for a permit because your normal dispatcher is out sick for a day and the other dispatchers are slow to deal with "his" drivers. Variables happen, the world of planning and scheduling is not as simplistic as you make it out to be with your rather simplistic "it's your fault".

We have to bend to shippers and receivers, we don't have a choice. Just as the patient has to breath even though it hurts, not breathing is not the answer. Not bending to shippers and receivers is not an answer either. Why? If we won't we either A) Lose our truck or B) Lose our job to competitors who will bend.

The HOS need to reflect the real world we deal with and do so with the understanding a lot of trucking, delivering, and receiving occur on off schedules which 14 hour blocks can't always fit, and occur between 1am-5am which they apparently cannot understand, and HOS need to reflect this truth rather than trying to force an impossible change of up at 6am - pickup, drive, deliver by 7pm- in bed by 10pm.

 

But all of my stuff is irregular route with a large list of customers. I have no dedicated stuff and am not doing the same thing each week. Yet, I work with everyone to determine the best times to deliver and pickup. I have as much input as anyone. Either we can agree or they can find another truck. I will not make up for poor planning of someone in an office. I have made it standard operating procedure for well over a decade now. I do try to work with customers and meet their needs, but not to the extent where it puts the pressure all on my back. And if you have a solid clientele, you do not have to play the same games like you mention. Actually, it is the mindset that follow your reasoning that has been the thorn in the side of trucking for almost as long as there have been trucks. And it is normal, I guess. I will continue to operate outside of normal. And not losing sleep over losing the truck.

But maybe it is that I learned years ago how to manage my time better and all the variables do not have as great of a negative effect. I find it always easy to call as far in advance as I can when I run up against something and change the delivery. There was somewhere around 5 times this last winter where snow was a problem. I determined how much it was going to put a crimp in things, I called everyone that needed to know, I TOLD them when I could be there. No issues, no hassles. And I still haul their stuff.

 

No! Wow you're very smart aren't you? Ignorance means to not know. Many people don't know a about these new rules.

Rolling the Smashed Pumpkin

 

I want an 8 hour day with more $ per mile. .....

Nevermind I guess we'll just work 14 hour days for slave wages, thats what supermegacarrierfleet owners want.

 

Ignorance is also staying with an OTR bottom feeder carrier and thinking you have to speed and violate HOS to accommodate them .