Understand the upcoming changes to the Hours July 1, 2013

[Lawrence]

A Blog From John Mueller

The New Revised Hours of Service Rules - Continued
The new 34 hour Reset rule attempts to ensure that professional drivers do not work more than 70 hours a week. What does this have to do with reducing truck accidents, and whether any accident is preventable or not? A well-rested driver is likely to be much more alert and hopefully have the capabilities to anticipate the potential for an occurrence (accident or incident) and take measures to prevent that occurrence from happening. -

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[davekc]

I agree with John. I don't see anything in the new rules that would be a safety benefit. These are more of, follow who is making money off the changes.
If it was about safety, we would be going back to the HOS from several years ago. You know....that period where a team could do a 5 and 5.
There is nothing to support any of these changes as being "good for safety".

 

[layoutshooter]

I agree. There is no safety benefit to anything in the new HOS regulations. If anything, they make our operation more dangerous. I wonder what the real motivation for these new regulations are? Who bought who out and for what purpose? Sure wish I had the means to find and follow that money trail.

 

[davekc]

With the ATA and OOIDA filing lawsuits, it shouldn't take too long to find out.

 

[layoutshooter]

I would LOVE to hear an explanation of why we are now restricted to only one 34 hour reset. Does having two mean your too rested? The entire mess makes not a bit of sense.

 

[zorry]

Minutes ago I bought a Pepsi at a Pilot. An United Van Lines driver said she was really confused about the new 30 minute break.

She asked if it was to be logged on or off duty.

After I told her Off Duty, the driver at the rear of the line said "it has to be between what, midnite and 6 am ?"
She then asked how the driver in the sleeper will log the break if he's in the sleeper.
I guess the safety guys will be working overtime the next two weeks.

 

[ChanceMaster]

I stopped to make dinner in our Team truck yesterday. Logged off duty, ate, went to the restroom, and bought a coffee.

I'm not trying to be a simpleton here, but that off duty time was close to an hour, and it went by fast. In our situation, and truck, I don't think these new rules are going to be as catastrophic as some think. That being said, Solos are going to have a tough time.

I certainly understand those who are frustrated with additional regulation though.

 

[layoutshooter]

I stopped to make dinner in our Team truck yesterday. Logged off duty, ate, went to the restroom, and bought a coffee.

I'm not trying to be a simpleton here, but that off duty time was close to an hour, and it went by fast. In our situation, and truck, I don't think these new rules are going to be as catastrophic as some think. That being said, Solos are going to have a tough time.

I certainly understand those who are frustrated with additional regulation though.

It is individual. If I had been driving and stopped that long I would be asleep. We also often don't have that much time available. If I am sleeping and my wife stops I will wake up. It will make our operation more dangerous, by far. We were MUCH MUCH safer with the 5 and 5. Not that anyone in Washington has any concern for safety.

 

[davekc]

I stopped to make dinner in our Team truck yesterday. Logged off duty, ate, went to the restroom, and bought a coffee.

I'm not trying to be a simpleton here, but that off duty time was close to an hour, and it went by fast. In our situation, and truck, I don't think these new rules are going to be as catastrophic as some think. That being said, Solos are going to have a tough time.

I certainly understand those who are frustrated with additional regulation though.

Oh...this is just the start. I may have to delete your post for providing "ideas".
My guess in another year or so that half hour will go to an hour.

 

[ChanceMaster]

Here's an idea... Start weighing drivers at weigh stations ! The drivers...not the trucks !! As Dylan sang, "Slow train comin' round the bend"

 

[geo]

one more reason to run a sprinter van have some good deals on vans

 

[davekc]

one more reason to run a sprinter van have some good deals on vans

Based on what I read here, I don't think the vanners want more people with Splinters.

 

[ATeam]

I stopped to make dinner in our Team truck yesterday. Logged off duty, ate, went to the restroom, and bought a coffee.

I'm not trying to be a simpleton here, but that off duty time was close to an hour, and it went by fast. In our situation, and truck, I don't think these new rules are going to be as catastrophic as some think.

You may be right, but keep in mind that expediting is a tiny, tiny slice of the greater trucking industry, and team expediting is a slice of that. Our experience is not typical.

The new rules will require trucks to stop for thirty minutes when they were not required to do so before. They also require trucks doing a reset to park for two nights when they were only required to park one night before. On a reset, that means that at least some trucks will take up a truck stop parking place for two nights instead of one. For some trucks, the 30 minute break will in fact be a 30 minute stop that they would not have otherwise made.

How many of these trucks will behave that way and where they will do so remains to be seen, but we need to keep the greater industry in mind. Team expediters may be able to make the adjustment with relative ease, all other things being equal. But the problem is, all other things will not be equal.

If truck parking gets tight in certain areas because of these mandated stops, it could very well affect expediters, even if their schedules allow them to adapt to the new rules.

For example, what about the LTL companies that closed some terminals and opened others, and reconfigured their customer base and service offerings to support drivers getting home every so often because routes could be planned to make them regional drivers who put in a 600 to 650 mile day behind the wheel?

What about the heavy-hauler who does oversize on a schedule made very tight by oversize permit rules that vary from state to state and even county to county? How often will the mandated 30 minute stop interfere with their allowable driving time when combined with their oversize permit window?

What about fuel tanker companies that serve a region? How many gas station supply stops be missed each week because the tanker driver must stop for those 30 minutes?

All of this remains to be seen, and it is premature, I think, to say these new rules will be no problem because expediters may be able to easily adapt.

And I'm not sure expediters will be able to easily adapt. That too remains to be seen.

 

[zorry]

On the gas tankers. Most run under the 100 mile radius. No logs. Many take a 30 minute lunch anyway.

 

[ATeam]

On the gas tankers. Most run under the 100 mile radius. No logs. Many take a 30 minute lunch anyway.

Some do. Some don't. Some run within a state. Some cross state lines. These HOS rules changes will affect trucks differently. Exactly how the big picture will look when they go into effect remains to be seen. My point remains the same. We cannot predict the impact industry wide based on expediting's tiny slice of it.

 

[ChanceMaster]

You may be right, but keep in mind that expediting is a tiny, tiny slice of the greater trucking industry, and team expediting is a slice of that. Our experience is not typical.

The new rules will require trucks to stop for thirty minutes when they were not required to do so before. They also require trucks doing a reset to park for two nights when they were only required to park one night before. On a reset, that means that at least some trucks will take up a truck stop parking place for two nights instead of one. For some trucks, the 30 minute break will in fact be a 30 minute stop that they would not have otherwise made.

How many of these trucks will behave that way and where they will do so remains to be seen, but we need to keep the greater industry in mind. Team expediters may be able to make the adjustment with relative ease, all other things being equal. But the problem is, all other things will not be equal.

If truck parking gets tight in certain areas because of these mandated stops, it could very well affect expediters, even if their schedules allow them to adapt to the new rules.

For example, what about the LTL companies that closed some terminals and opened others, and reconfigured their customer base and service offerings to support drivers getting home every so often because routes could be planned to make them regional drivers who put in a 600 to 650 mile day behind the wheel?

What about the heavy-hauler who does oversize on a schedule made very tight by oversize permit rules that vary from state to state and even county to county? How often will the mandated 30 minute stop interfere with their allowable driving time when combined with their oversize permit window?

What about fuel tanker companies that serve a region? How many gas station supply stops be missed each week because the tanker driver must stop for those 30 minutes?

All of this remains to be seen, and it is premature, I think, to say these new rules will be no problem because expediters may be able to easily adapt.

And I'm not sure expediters will be able to easily adapt. That too remains to be seen.

My post regarding the easy break I took for dinner was an illustration for my teams normal mode of operation. There is certainly going to be far ranging implications for the trucking industry as a whole. Like some of stated it has nothing to do with safety, but everything to do with dollars ( somewhere). At the very least, I think our policy makers are enjoying the perception among the public that they are doing something about those " Big, Dangerous Trucks"

The advantage is going to go to the large carriers who will have a large pool of drivers with available HOS to service their customers. The small fleet owner, or O/O is going to have to really monitor their HOS resources.

Now, including price per mile, you better consider if the revenue from a run is profitable enough to start your work clock or use your available hours. Tighter margins in profit and hours will make running smarter even more paramount. Perhaps some marginal operators will fall to the wayside ?

Those considering truck driving as a career may reconsider due to the perception of difficult to understand regulations.

Time will tell, and soon.

 

[beachbum]

Anyone who says they drive 11 straight hours without stopping are BS'ing everyone here and themselves. You need to stop sometime during the day to eat. Now it will be required to stop and have lunch with the 30 minute rule coming as of July first.

 

[jimby82]

I know several drivers who don't stop for their entire 11 hours, so it's not totally BS. (They are team drivers, so they can always get lunch "delivered" )

I try to stop every 3-4 hours, or I'm so stiff, I can't move! Take a little longer on one of those breaks, and I'll be fine.

I think the new 34 hour rules will affects us as a team. We usually switch around 2 o'clock. We'll have to move that back to before 1 if we're close to starting a reset. And it will take me longer as the night driver to get my reset.

Again, not seeing anything that's going to make our lives "safer".

 

[paullud]

Anyone who says they drive 11 straight hours without stopping are BS'ing everyone here and themselves. You need to stop sometime during the day to eat. Now it will be required to stop and have lunch with the 30 minute rule coming as of July first.

You obviously aren't familiar with everyone's situation and the claim isn't unreasonable. With that being said I can tell you that I have been known to drive straight through the 11 on longer runs. My wife will grab whatever I need and I have no reason to stop so I don't.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using EO Forums mobile app

 

[BigCat]

Anyone who says they drive 11 straight hours without stopping are BS'ing everyone here and themselves. You need to stop sometime during the day to eat. Now it will be required to stop and have lunch with the 30 minute rule coming as of July first.

Some people actually have to drive 11 straight. Most of our longer FedEx loads don't even have time to stop and fuel let alone eat. So to make that statement is ignorant. My question is why are all the van drivers so worried about what we have to do and regs to follow?