Trucking Regulations: FMCSA moves toward reform of hours-of-service regulations

[Mike]

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is eying changes to the hours-of-service regulations.

FMCSA sent a prerule to the Office of Management and Budget for internal review on Tuesday, Aug. 14. However, the details of the proposal haven’t been made public.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said on Aug. 15 that it supports efforts to modernize hours-of-service regulations and looks forward to an anticipated advance notice of proposed rulemaking from the FMCSA.

Many of the Association’s 160,000 members have argued that current regulations are overly complex, provide no flexibility, and in no way reflect the physical capabilities or limitations of individual drivers.

FMCSA moves toward reform of hours-of-service regulations

 

[Mike]

Can't wait to see this made public.

 

[Hammer166]

Can't wait to see this made public.

Even something as simple as allowing the 2 hour part of a split break to pause the clock would be an immense help. Although I'd rather see something along the lines of no more than 14 hours of on duty in a 16 hour day.

 

[Mike]

I'm just glad to see that something is in the works. It's the only reason I was in any open to the ELD mandate. I knew that once the entire industry got thrown on to these things that something would happen.

It's also why I am 100% against the exemptions being handed out. Everyone needs to be bound to the current HOS so we can see just exactly how screwed up they are.

 

[Hammer166]

Everyone needs to be bound to the current HOS so we can see just exactly how screwed up they are.

Can you imagine the mess if we were trying to run ELD under the old 10/15/70 rules? I actually did that with Phillips in the 90's ( on CADEC), and it really sucked to run out of hours as a team (we did a lot of unloading hours, and had to log them to get paid for them,) and have to be the poor SOB who got stuck with that first shift leaving at midnight when you picked up hours.

 

[Electric Chicken]

12 hours max and you can do any combination of anything in the 12 hours.

Simple, done.

 

[Mike]

I'm ok with the hours, I just want occasional allowances to get home legally, or get to parking legally. Not daily allowances, but something you can use a certain amount of times in a specified timeframe.

I don't want guidance, I want it in the rules so no officer can debate me about it.

Be nice to see the 14 hours opened up to where you could drive over 11 hours as long as you were still inside the 14. There are days on long runs where that would be nice.

 

[Rigjockey]

The Fmcsa rules are very simple compared to the Canadian rules that do allow you to take a two hour break and not have it count against you. Overly complicated!
I suck at math and I get the 11,14, 70 and I am surprised by those that can't grasp that simple concept.
Yes I agree you should be able to stop the clock for 2 hours and not have it affect your 14 but there should be a limit on how many times per cycle you are allowed to do so. To prevent driver abuse by companies and dispatchers.

 

[r3gulator3]

12 hours max and you can do any combination of anything in the 12 hours.

Simple, done.

Sure 12 hours as long as when I am stuck at a steel plant and they make me wait 4-6 hours that clock goes on pause and then resume the rest of the 12

 

[r3gulator3]

I'm ok with the hours, I just want occasional allowances to get home legally, or get to parking legally. Not daily allowances, but something you can use a certain amount of times in a specified timeframe.

I don't want guidance, I want it in the rules so no officer can debate me about it.

Be nice to see the 14 hours opened up to where you could drive over 11 hours as long as you were still inside the 14. There are days on long runs where that would be nice.

Or like bus drivers make it a cumulative 14 hour day of driving/on duty. Any time your off of SB don’t count against your time. They haul people for god sake.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Hmmm let's revisit this whole self driving trucks thing...

 

[Mike]

Or like bus drivers make it a cumulative 14 hour day of driving/on duty. Any time your off of SB don’t count against your time. They haul people for god sake.

Running my own truck, I would be happy with that. Throw company trucks into the mix, and I don't think it is a good idea. Dispatch/Fleet Managers would be pushing drivers into accidents, and we would find ourselves highly restricted again in a short amount of time.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Running my own truck, I would be happy with that. Throw company trucks into the mix, and I don't think it is a good idea. Dispatch/Fleet Managers would be pushing drivers into accidents, and we would find ourselves highly restricted again in a short amount of time.

It really does boil down to dispatchers pushing.

I don't get nearly as tired now as I did at SuxPress because of the difference. And if I do, I can nap. They can't hollar at me for cancelling a load due to napping.

Doesn't even matter if there are HOS regs at all if dispatch is held accountable and drivers stand up for themselves across the board.

 

[ironpony]

The question really is, what kind of disaster are the FMCSA lawyers coming up with now? Because those 'tards don't employ anyone with real knowledge of the trucking industry.

 

[r3gulator3]

Running my own truck, I would be happy with that. Throw company trucks into the mix, and I don't think it is a good idea. Dispatch/Fleet Managers would be pushing drivers into accidents, and we would find ourselves highly restricted again in a short amount of time.

That’s because people have this mindset that they must do what dispatch says regardless of the laws, fatigue, illness, ect.

Goes back to something I have said before. Have the intestinal fortitude to stand your ground. Your in the truck, your in the environment, and your in your body. That guy clicking keys at the desk is not in the position to make your decisions for you.

 

[Mike]

That’s because people have this mindset that they must do what dispatch says regardless of the laws, fatigue, illness, ect.

Goes back to something I have said before. Have the intestinal fortitude to stand your ground. Your in the truck, your in the environment, and your in your body. That guy clicking keys at the desk is not in the position to make your decisions for you.

Totally agree.

 

[Ontario Outlaw]

That’s because people have this mindset that they must do what dispatch says regardless of the laws, fatigue, illness, ect.

Goes back to something I have said before. Have the intestinal fortitude to stand your ground. Your in the truck, your in the environment, and your in your body. That guy clicking keys at the desk is not in the position to make your decisions for you.

I had pulled over for a nap one night. Dispatch called MY phone asking why I wasn’t moving. I came unhinged and told him to never call me again. Monday rolled around I wrote him up with safety and loudly announced that I run when I WANT to run.

Call me? Tell me to drive? When I’m tired? Uh uh, no way sister.

FIRE THAT DOG!!
@Blood

 

[Electric Chicken]

Totally agree.

Oh, sure, give ShinyBoy a "totally agree" AND a little button click and me just a little button click.

FAVORITISM.

 

[r3gulator3]

Oh, sure, give ShinyBoy a "totally agree" AND a little button click and me just a little button click.

FAVORITISM.

Totally agree.

 

[r3gulator3]

I had pulled over for a nap one night. Dispatch called MY phone asking why I wasn’t moving. I came unhinged and told him to never call me again. Monday rolled around I wrote him up with safety and loudly announced that I run when I WANT to run.

Call me? Tell me to drive? When I’m tired? Uh uh, no way sister.

FIRE THAT DOG!!
@Blood

One time my Qualcomm had a hiccup a delayed sending my empty. I got unloaded at 6pm on a Sunday at a place. My empty didn’t send till 230 am Monday. I got at call at 3. Asking me if I’d take a 600 mile run for $500 to the truck to a union steel plant that takes 6+ hours to unload me every time I’m there. I wasn’t happy with the call. Yelled at them for calling while I was in SB and told them I wouldn’t do it. The guy kind of hung on the phone. I said is there anything else I can help you with. He says, no I don’t believe so. I said Good now imagine an old phone slamming down. And hung up. Went back to sleep. They have never called me in the middle of the night again.