The "Safe Haven" Rule - What it is and what it isn't...

[Mike]

How do you find yourself in adverse conditions without prior knowledge? Ignorance?, Just holding the wheel with headphones on listening to Itunes? No understanding of weather patterns? Truck driving takes every aspect of education. Science and geography is a big part of it.

Easy.

We have all been in areas where snow was expected, but it wasn't expected to be a blizzard, then it became just that (after, and only after you started your day). At that point, you have a rule in place that allows you to get to your destination, and it is a rule that most are either afraid to use, or their company won't allow them to use because the company is afraid of it.

I've used it several times.

 

[Rigjockey]

Exactly. And that's why the rule has been used successfully by a Swiftie once in Swift's entire history.

That was my point. The rule is meant for extreme conditions and extreme circumstances need to be met to justify adverse unknown conditions.

 

[Mike]

Whatever. Most drivers would use the term safe haven whilst driving past many perfectly good places to seek refuge in adverse weather

stop arguing with me, I am always right!

 

[Rigjockey]

Easy.

We have all been in areas where snow was expected, but it wasn't expected to be a blizzard, then it became just that (after, and only after you started your day). At that point, you have a rule in place that allows you to get to your destination, and it is a rule that most are either afraid to use, or their company won't allow them to use because the company is afraid of it.

I've used it several times.

I beg to differ. The rule allows you to find a safe place to park. It says right there in the rule that it must be a run that you have completed before during normal conditions.
In OTR most time you have never done that same run.

 

[Mike]

I beg to differ. The rule allows you to find a safe place to park. It says right there in the rule that it must be a run that you have completed before during normal conditions.
In OTR most time you have never done that same run.

If I am leaving out during the morning, on my way home and able to make that run under normal conditions, you can bet I will apply that rule if there is unexpected weather or and accident that delays me for an hour.

 

[Rigjockey]

If I am leaving out during the morning, on my way home and able to make that run under normal conditions, you can bet I will apply that rule if there is unexpected weather or and accident that delays me for an hour.

Did someone not just say the rule was not meant for drivers to use it to get home?

 

[Mike]

Did someone not just say the rule was not meant for drivers to use it to get home?

"getting home" can't be the emergency or condition. If you could have gotten home in the 11 hours under normal conditions, you can use the rule if the reason that detained you is valid. That's how I use it anyway.

 

[Rigjockey]

"getting home" can't be the emergency or condition. If you could have gotten home in the 11 hours under normal conditions, you can use the rule if the reason that detained you is valid. That's how I use it anyway.

Be that as that may. I don't think that was the spirit the law was written under.

 

[Mike]

Be that as that may. I don't think that was the spirit the law was written under.

Let me state it this way, to see if it helps in my explanation...

"complete your run". Everyday, if we are doing our job as we are supposed to, we plan a run. that run consists of leaving from our 10 hour break, and arriving at a planned destination at the end of the day (end of the run). If an adverse condition arises that prevents us from completing that planned run, we can use this rule, providing we can still get it done without violation the 14 or 70.

Now, if you abuse it, simply to extend your day because it took longer than you planned, you can expect to get busted on that.

 

[Rigjockey]

Let me state it this way, to see if it helps in my explanation...

"complete your run". Everyday, if we are doing our job as we are supposed to, we plan a run. that run consists of leaving from our 10 hour break, and arriving at a planned destination at the end of the day (end of the run). If an adverse condition arises that prevents us from completing that planned run, we can use this rule, providing we can still get it done without violation the 14 or 70.

Now, if you abuse it, simply to extend your day because it took longer than you planned, you can expect to get busted on that.

Allrighy then!

 

[Mike]

Allrighy then!

Is that canadian for "I knew you were right!"?

 

[Rigjockey]

Is that canadian for "I knew you were right!"?

Must be. I got that from Jim Carrie. Canadian dickhead. lol

 

[Duck]

We need a complete and total "screw the log book" provision for extreme weather conditions.

Like if you're stuck on the interstate til you're 6 hours over your 14, what are you supposed to do? You get to a place to park & take 8. Or 10. Whatever. You're tired as hell but you can't just park & sleep in the middle of the interstate.

 

[soulsurvives]

How do you find yourself in adverse conditions without prior knowledge? Ignorance?, Just holding the wheel with headphones on listening to Itunes? No understanding of weather patterns? Truck driving takes every aspect of education. Science and geography is a big part of it.

really?.....ever heard of a snow squall?....one of those can be undetectable by weather radar and drop several inches in 15-20 minutes.....then you get a pileup cause nobody slows down in the whiteout.....now traffic is crawling for the next hour.........situations like that happen all the time....completely unpredictable and unless you have news stations every half mile on the highway its not likely to be on any news or weather report.......

 

[Rigjockey]

really?.....ever heard of a snow squall?....one of those can be undetectable by weather radar and drop several inches in 15-20 minutes.....then you get a pileup cause nobody slows down in the whiteout.....now traffic is crawling for the next hour.........situations like that happen all the time....completely unpredictable and unless you have news stations every half mile on the highway its not likely to be on any news or weather report.......

Nope I can't say I have ever been caught off guard like that.

 

[Southern Fried]

really?.....ever heard of a snow squall?....one of those can be undetectable by weather radar and drop several inches in 15-20 minutes.....then you get a pileup cause nobody slows down in the whiteout.....now traffic is crawling for the next hour.........situations like that happen all the time....completely unpredictable and unless you have news stations every half mile on the highway its not likely to be on any news or weather report.......

Quite so. The little Canadian province (New Brunswick) has 4 distinct weather zones . Not uncommon to have blizzard conditions in one while the rest are clear.

 

[Hammer166]

Nope I can't say I have ever been caught off guard like that.

By the weather, no.

By the sheer stupidity displayed by some driving in it? OH, HELL YES!

 

[soulsurvives]

Nope I can't say I have ever been caught off guard like that.

are you kidding me?.....must be a may-september solar powered driver....no way in the world that any driver can know about every weather situation while driving 500 plus miles a day.....now maybe a local driver running from daytona to miami everyday knows he is gonna hit rain once a day in florida is one thing.......but any driver that has put miles in running places north of fl/ga line will never know of every single weather related situation before he/she gets to it.....anyone who says they do is full of it......plain and simple........

 

[mndriver]

Just because you can't, doesn't mean there are those who can.

Very easy to stay on top of the weather in today's market. With the apps and such on the smart phones, weather alerts etc., getting caught is pretty much meaning you just aren't paying attention.

 

[soulsurvives]

well if your cellphone never goes without a signal and no weather system forms as your driving down the road then i should ride with you....i have been driving down the road before in total sunshine and had a snow squall form and ended up in a total whiteout and then 5 minutes later been back in the sunshine......while staying informed is easier today than ever before no driver or anyone else for that matter can know what the weather....traffic and road conditions will be like for a 14 hour/ 500 plus mile day when they start their day.....and if anyone says that they can they are full of it......this rule is for unexpected situations that arise during the course of a drivers day.....a situation that he/she could not have possibly known when they started.....now some drivers seem to be able to predict the future 14 hours at a time......and to those drivers i tip my hat and recommend a lottery ticket or 2.........and don't forget us sad working folks when you collect your millions......perhaps throw a huge party