[DesertRat]

I think it depends a lot on the company. There are a few different outlooks here.

I know of some drivers whose companies aren't big on restarts. Theoretically, a truck sitting for 34 hours isn't generating revenue, so keeping it moving makes sense. You pick up hours every midnight, and run off of those, maybe not moving in fast forward, but you are making progress everyday. It also keeps you under freight more often. As long as the freight the company runs isn't that hot, it works out well.

On the other hand, I used to work for a company that got me home every weekend. We would pretty much run 11 on, 10 off (not counting "not driving" time) all week, bleed the log book for every available hour, then go home on Friday night or Saturady morning. Start fresh on Monday with a new 70. running hot freight in a 7-800 mile range, this worked beautifully.

Ultimately, it's a matter of do they want to run more steady, or run hot then shut down. It all depends on the company attitude, and I'm sure things like type of freight, length of haul, even number of trucks available. It's all a complex mathematical equation with no two people using the same calculator

[BigBird01]

As long as you can get 2500-3400 miles a week, either with doing a restart or not doing a restart. I think that is what most companys want. But if you only got like 1500 miles and say you need a restart then yeah they might complain or say something to you. Most companys want you to avg at least 2500 miles a week when there is alot of freight.

[LOAD IT]

The law says you must get your rest and the restart is part of that. A ggod company will run you and hopefully you can reset at home or someplace you want to be. Not Hunts Point or Dominicks or Huger Sc or some other armpit place in America. Keep a legal logbook, make good money and dont let dispatch twist your arm to run illegal, but dont run out of hours on a load, dont accept the load if you cant run it from start to finish or reject it and besure to comment why in the qualcomm or to management. No load is worth a LIFE, good luck.

[kc0iv]

Originally Posted by LOAD IT

The law says you must get your rest and the restart is part of that. A ggod company will run you and hopefully you can reset at home or someplace you want to be. Not Hunts Point or Dominicks or Huger Sc or some other armpit place in America. Keep a legal logbook, make good money and dont let dispatch twist your arm to run illegal, but dont run out of hours on a load, dont accept the load if you cant run it from start to finish or reject it and besure to comment why in the qualcomm or to management. No load is worth a LIFE, good luck.

The law says you must get your rest and the restart is part of that.

As DesertRat said many companies do not want you to do a 34 hour reset. Nor does the feds require it. As long as don't exceed your 80 hours in 8 days (or 70 in 7 days) there is no rule that says you have to do a reset. Takes a little better time management.

kc0iv

[tbrown]

Originally Posted by kc0iv

As DesertRat said many companies do not want you to do a 34 hour reset. Nor does the feds require it. As long as don't exceed your 80 hours in 8 days (or 70 in 7 days) there is no rule that says you have to do a reset. Takes a little better time management.

Now I'm pretty sure you mean 70 hours in 8 or 60 in 7, correct? :?

[thebaldeagle655]

Originally Posted by kc0iv

As DesertRat said many companies do not want you to do a 34 hour reset. Nor does the feds require it. As long as don't exceed your 80 hours in 8 days (or 70 in 7 days) there is no rule that says you have to do a reset. Takes a little better time management.

kc0iv

Somehow I am confused,

b)(2) Having been on duty 70 hours in any period of 8 consecutive days if the employing motor carrier operates commercial motor vehicles every day of the week.

(c)(2) Any period of 8 consecutive days may end with the beginning of any off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours.


OK, so if I only work 8.75 hours a day, I will have my 70 hours in 8 days,

and can in essence work 7 days a week, 52 weeks a month.

8.25 hours X 8 days = 66 driving hours an 8 day week

Remember too, that is ON-DUTY time, not driving time we are talking about!

but with out a 34 hour reset, you will have 1 1/2 days a week more to hat, ie. 12.125 more hours, so in the same 9 1/2 day time period you can put in 78.125 hours of driving time but have no time at home with the family.

Nah, I think I will stick to my 11 hours max driving time, no more than 70 / 8 days and spend a day and 1/2 a week with the family.

[tbrown]

Originally Posted by thebaldeagle655

Nah, I think I will stick to my 11 hours max driving time, no more than 70 / 8 days and spend a day and 1/2 a week with the family.

I hear you 100 PERCENT, however, for OTR, that day and a half is spent at a truck stop...not home with family!

My SO's former company (who, by the way has an excellent reputation) pushed him to the max!! Whether you had the hours to roll off or not, his dispatcher constantly pushed him, till she finally pushed him right into quitting. As far as I'm concerned, it's his CDL, not the companies, and no one is going to be coming forward if something happens. The other thing, you can only drive so many days at 11 hours driving before you probably need some sort of break to be SAFE - for you and other drivers!!

If a company wants those wheels turning daily, they need to let a driver run his logs the way he wants...I'm thinking that should be less than 11 hours driving, but what do I know? :?

[Uturn2001]

The best dispatcher I ever had never pushed his drivers. He would ask if they could do this or that and if the answer was No he might ask when it could be done but would never push the issue, lay out the guilt trip etc.

Now the "funny" thing is that while he actually had fewer trucks on his fleet than most of his counterparts in the office (3 or 4 fewer) his fleet was constantly one of the top 2 for miles ran every month and he had the lowest turnover of any fleet at that company.

By not pushing, making sure his drivers were well rested, etc his fleet ran efficiently, which is something so many do not have any concept of.

[tbrown]

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

The best dispatcher I ever had never pushed his drivers. He would ask if they could do this or that and if the answer was No he might ask when it could be done but would never push the issue, lay out the guilt trip etc.

Now the "funny" thing is that while he actually had fewer trucks on his fleet than most of his counterparts in the office (3 or 4 fewer) his fleet was constantly one of the top 2 for miles ran every month and he had the lowest turnover of any fleet at that company.

By not pushing, making sure his drivers were well rested, etc his fleet ran efficiently, which is something so many do not have any concept of.

AMEN!! Wise man, that dispatcher...

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

The best dispatcher I ever had never pushed his drivers. He would ask if they could do this or that and if the answer was No he might ask when it could be done but would never push the issue, lay out the guilt trip etc.

Now the "funny" thing is that while he actually had fewer trucks on his fleet than most of his counterparts in the office (3 or 4 fewer) his fleet was constantly one of the top 2 for miles ran every month and he had the lowest turnover of any fleet at that company.

By not pushing, making sure his drivers were well rested, etc his fleet ran efficiently, which is something so many do not have any concept of.

FROM YOUR LIPS TO GOD'S EARS!!! And, more importantly, this post should be mandatory reading for all dispatchers and management!

Uturn.... I think YOU should start a trucking company! I will be first in line to work for you! (I HOPE you'd hire me!) :lol: