What is something that can make it easier?

Note in my op I indicated how certain parameters could be taken into consideration. In Florida one can dial 511 for live up-to-the-minute traffic reports, patterns, delay times and alternate routes. Accidents, detours, traffic jams, etc. can't be foreseen or predicted when pre-planning your trip with certain exceptions, such as known clogged roadways during rush and peak traffic hours. A constantly-updating live data app could assist and eliminate certain things. When one can take a negative out of the equation, I'm all for the method. If one always allows extra time for what MIGHT occur then you're shaving and losing miles on a regular basis. If the parameters of which I refer could be implemented into an app it could help with these not-so-infrequent situations. You're right, it's not that hard to pre-plan based on your speed and etas but this doesn't allow for unforeseen incidents even if you estimate your Interstate speed (let's say 50 mph for the sake of argument) well under the posted limit if and when the unforeseen occurs.

Twice now I've been on the side of the road for my 30 minutes since the new rule took effect and it had nothing to do with my pre-planning. Judging by the number of trucks I see on the side of the road this happens daily all across the country and apparently, quite frequently. I'm sure some of these incidents could be corrected by tweaking the pre-planning but not all of these drivers can be at fault judging by the sheer number I see each day.

As you mention, there are new rules and with new rules come additional time and responsibilities for the driver with no additional compensation. Anything I can do to reduce the time that was recently added to my day is a winner in my book. Time is money and for some, those extra few minutes each day add amount to some serious extra work hours over the course of a year.

 

It's the dummying down of America as Rush puts it, you can tell the newbies from the old timers when the newbies need all the help to do the thinking for them, and the old timers use god's greatest gift, called brains to think for them self's, yes, in some area's technology does help indeed but not for every little detail that comes up, my .02 worth.........

 

You have a three hour window to take that 30 minute break . . . you can plan for that. I do it every day, and I have been in Dallas, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Nashville, and Detroit around the time I needed to take my 30 minute break, and didn't have a problem getting that in within 5 to 8 hours of when I started driving. Traffic jams in each one of those cities which happened at non-rush hour times of the day. A truck stop book is all I need to find a truck stop or rest area for that break, and a couple of them have been gotten in while waiting for a dock at the shipper. I'm not on duty, so it counts.

 

The human mind is still the most powerful computing chip developed to date. It can take into account all sorts of variables in less time then it would take to pick up a smartphone and "let it make a decision for you" that may or may not work in reality. Yes, time is money but while you're sitting there trying to make the app work the way you want it to work and put you where you want to be, I'm moving down the road and I will stop when/where it's time to stop and when the time is practical.

I don't like the 30 minute break requirement either but it's not causing me any sort of potential crisis on a regular basis that only an "app" can solve. I'll put my "programming" against any app, any day.

 

We all already took a "30 minute break" at least once during the day. The only difference is, now we actually have to log it as such.

 

Well, I first drove commercially in 1986. I don't list those years from the '80s in my profile experience as I left the industry and recently came back after retiring from another career. But if referring to me as a newbie helps others feel better or superior about themselves (read: passive, self-professed elitism based on the time a driver has put in) when referring to others, it makes little difference to me.

As far as Jeff Christie is concerned, he got his start in my hometown as a moronic morning AM DJ who began frothing at the mouth one morning while reading an article from the newspaper that ticked him off. The phones lit up and his schtick was born. If it wasn't for the "low-information voters" he'd be out of a job as he makes a living off those people by convincing them they are somehow oppressed conservatives.

 

Only had a problem twice. Are you not aware of the increased number of trucks on the side of the road since this rule went into effect? Read the threads on this very forum about the 30 minute break, especially when it went into effect. Many confused, many having issues with it and judging by the profiles, the majority of them aren't newbies. I never indicated it was a problem per se, simply something that could make life easier for some of us. Perhaps you would prefer an app that did something else. Personally, I'd prefer one with an audible geared to exactly what I professed (shrug).

 

I have no idea who Jeff Christie is so that is a waste of bandwidth and some what a moot point to me. Then to be honest you have to admit that life changed in trucking from your leaving the trucking industry and then returning to it, ya, you start all over learning what has changed, just like me when I got off the road for years and did local then went back to OTR and find out a lot changed, you can figure it out yourself if you want to call yourself a newbie again or not......

 

I guess i'll butt in on this as I am confused, I was doing short haul this last month WI,MN,IL,IN, and tell me, just where are all these trucks on the side of the road, as I did not see one sitting anywhere, except in truck stops, so.. do I have to do long haul to see this phenomenon? or by chance did everybody have there one ringy dingy to tell them when to pull off ahead of time? did I just see the hey stupid get off the road your 30 minute break is coming up app. working in full glory? just asking.....

 

I'm in Alabama, see you at 4 corners in two to three days. Stop. Before cell phones. Stop. New thing C.B. radio. I want a chicken fried steak. A nap and some pie. I wake to pie. Tea, and 12 hours in. 14 hours out. California wants my wallet. Any money they can get is good for them. Arnold didn't take any money, his wife didn't leave any either. Fontana scares me. Vampire CHP. You know I'm right.