Split break question

I did quite a bit when I was on e logs. I’d often stop in the middle of the day to shower when places weren’t busy. By the time I did that, walked the dog, and had some lunch it was pretty easy to burn a couple hours.

 

I stand corrected.

 

The FMCSA summary of HOS says
14-Hour Limit
May not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period.

 

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulatio...hours-duty-and-later-takes-7-hour-consecutive

 

Unless using a split sleeper log. It will pause for up to 3 hours, provided the driver spends at least 7 in the sleeper at the end of the day.

 

If you look at the example in the link that @Ddh77777 shared, the FMCSA says all 5 hours will stop the clock. Only 3 will count towards the 10 though.

 

Which is why this 'new flexibility' is asinine. "I was just up for 19 hours, but I logged 7 hours in the sleeper so I'm good for another 14". The entire idea of a 14 hour max day is being invalidated.

 

I hear that some companies have stricter internal rules and either do not allow drivers to split log at all or they require a 10 hour break even if a 7 or 8 would be all that is technically required.

 

But is it any different than a local guy being the designated driver for his friends, so they're up all night partying. He's has 10 hours off, but he's tired as anything.

 

No, you can't keep taking 2hr breaks to pause your 14-clock. But what has happened to me is I was off-duty at home for 10+hrs, drove 4hrs, interstate shutdown due to hazmat clean-up which took 6hrs (I spent those 6hrs in the sleeper), then I drove another 6hrs (because it was a home-daily route and I wanted to get home and brush my teeth/shower/sleep in my own bed), and when I got home I went to sleeper berth status for 10+hrs...YES, you can use home as sleeper berth status. Thus my 3/7-split was elongated to a 6/10-split (shorter break was more than 3, both breaks added to more than 10, and long break was in sleeper berth [home in my case]). And it all works. Nice thing is the company paid me the 18hr-day (10hrs driving, 2hrs on-duty, 6hrs sleeper berth). And in all that the 6hr break in the middle of my shift paused my 14hr clock.