OMG!! Did Hobo just call Obama a donkey?

 

you cant always decide what time to deliver, fore instance, I have a customer who usually gets a load on Friday, and they get there at 5 am, so I get out about 630 and then it's time for a restart, guess what? I start break at 7 am, 5 pm tomorrow is 34 hours BUT I cant go, because I only have 1 period between 1 and 5 am, now I have to wait until 5 am the next day so my 34 hours has become 47 hours, they are counting on the fact that truck drivers are too stupid to figure it out.

 

Good point, Mystikal. Like I said... I hadn't absorbed it all yet. I'm pretty sure this problem will be recognized and addressed before the effective date in 2013. I think one possible outcome will be that shippers/receivers (or perhaps dispatchers) will have to start considering the driver's schedule a bit more instead of making US conform to their schedule.

There are alot of variables to be considered, but.... if you left the west coast on a direct run to a delivery on the east coast, followed by that 5 a.m. pickup... you should still have about 20 hours+ left on your 70. You should be able to make an early pickup (though I see the problem you mention) and keep moving... at least to a "relay" point. I.e: you shouldn't NEED a restart at that point in your week.

IF you have been out awhile, or on the east coast for awhile, and this would be your LAST pickup before you hit your 70 and NEED a restart... well... they shouldn't have YOU picking up that load anyways. I THINK this new ruling will require everyone to rethink their "scheduling." IF you are against the 70 hour wall, your dispatcher needs to get you to a point where you can take your 34 hr restart (under the new requirements) BEFORE you have such an early morning pickup.

I am currently considering all this input and recalculating things in my mind (as evidenced by the sweat around my collar,) and will do my best to help us ALL work this thing out.

 

I will defer to your advanced experience in driving in the Northeast, but... I HAVE been up there a few times. All the way to Maine. I've seen rest areas, offramps, pullouts... etc. I'm pretty sure you could find a place to pull over and log 30 in your sleeper. Point is... you don't HAVE to wait until 2 a.m. (or 8 hours into your day.) [In fact... I believe the new regs say you can take that time "resting" in the cab of the truck.]

And not EVERY driver in the area will take that break at the same time. In fact... I'll bet MOST drivers already TAKE such a break somewhere before entering the "forbidden zone" and, as long as it is sometime BEFORE they have been driving for 8 hours, it satisfies the new regs.

I will give more thought to YOUR "objection" as well, but.... I still don't see a problem. Not expecting a mass exodus from the interstate into truckstops at any specific time during the night/day.

 

Fredog said:

Fixed it for ya.

I guess you were out of hours when you GOT there. Why? But, I see your point about how it will cost you about 2 full days.

I don't think they are that stupid... nor do they think WE are. Fact is... MATT and other organizations were pressing for a 48 hour restart. FMCSA was leaning in that direction based on medical evidence that a "worker" or driver needs TWO full sleep periods that include "the wee hours of the morning" which we ALL agree are the hardest on ANY driver. I believe the current ruling shows a compromise that TRIES to include two of those periods WITHOUT mandating a 48 hour restart. Count your blessings and figure a way to deal with it. I'm sure your company is working on it.

I also expect the ruling to be challenged in court. This will allow for a further "comment period." I hope some of you will make these "situations" known to them. You've HAD a year or so to do so... Both the 48 hr restart AND the "two night-time" considerations have been public knowledge for a couple of years now.

 

I think that they need to have more regulations. After all, we don't know when we are supposed to go to the toilet or take a shower or how long we should spend taking care of those thing. We also need to know how long and when we need to eat, grab a cup of coffee or get a coke. I need to know about these things so that I can operate compliant.

 

Absolutely NOT! I think someone recently admitted that they had "hacked" my account. If you FIND that pernicious hackster... you will find the CAD who made such an implication! :lol:

 

they should just require the 48 hour restart and stop trying to hide it

 

This is the one point I am still struggling with. I would appreciate any numbers or logbook examples you could give me. Sounds like you would have to be driving 11 hrs/day with absolute minimal breaks and inspection/hook times to use up 70 hours in 5 days. If so... it would seem that YOU, of all drivers, might need more than just a "daytime" 34 hr restart before pulling another 70 hours on this type of schedule! You all KNOW that I've never worked for a "common (coolie) carrier," so... I need some input to consider how these rulings would affect ALL drivers.

Just considering pure "numbers," it is hard to see how a driver could use the restart more than once a week. However... recent activities by my company have actually resulted in me getting a "non-intentional" 34 hr restart in the middle of my short week... so, I can see how it might happen while waiting on a load to haul. [And I drive TEAM! :eek2:]

IF I were so inclined to work thru the weekend to make up the miles I missed, I think I would be concerned that this unintentional restart would not "actually" RESTART my 70 hour clock. However.... I think I might be MORE concerned that these days of inactivity would show up as my 9th day BACK when I really "needed" some hours to gain... and wouldn't have them.

I really WOULD like to hear/see some examples (real or hypothetical) to show how this could be a real problem. Y'all know me. If I think the Feds are wrong... I will let them know it! :lol:

 

I'll continue to at least try to stick with driving 8.5 hrs or so per day. That way I don't have to worry whatsoever about doing restarts anyway.