Truck Driving Legal Drive Time
Learn how our all-in-one telematics solution delivers a measurable return on investment. It`s important to note that while drivers may be on duty for 60 or 70 hours over seven or eight days, they still have to follow the daily 14-hour rule: as with most things, there are exceptions to the ground rules. If a driver starts and ends at the same location for a one-day assignment, they can work 16 hours. However, the actual driving time is still limited to 11 hours. If there is a stopover, this exception cannot be used. This can only be used once in a period of time and requires a 34-hour break before it can be used again. For this reason, some legislators believe that changes to DOT hours of service are necessary. A bill, called the REST Act, is currently being proposed to change the regulation of breaks that count within the 14-hour limit. The law aims to give drivers up to three consecutive hours of rest, which does not count towards their 14 hours. The legislation also seeks to use this new three-hour break to abolish the 30-minute break requirement.
For drivers who work 60/70 hours and find that time is of the essence, the fastest way to reset their clocks is to restart for 34 hours. The 34-hour restart is an optional break created by the FMCSA that allows drivers to reset their driving and duty limits to a consecutive 34-hour break. There is no limit to how many times a driver can use a 34-hour reset or where they can take it, even in their bunk. You can read more about the 34-hour reset here. “Drowsy driving is dangerous because sleep deprivation can have similar effects on your body as drinking. If you are awake for 18 hours straight, you will drive as if you have a blood alcohol level of 0.05 (for reference, 0.08 is considered drunk). If you`ve been awake for a full 24 hours and you`re driving — say, after one night you couldn`t fall asleep — that`s like having a blood alcohol level of 0.10. Drivers using a berth must spend at least 8 hours in the berth and may divide the sleeping time into two periods, provided that neither period is less than 2 hours.
All sleeping place pairings MUST last at least 10 hours. Among these classes, there are specific rules for the latter, which can drive fewer hours per day with fewer rest periods, and even more differences for the former, which determine which rules must be followed. Before we continue, let`s discuss daily driver logbooks. The good news is that compliance with these HOS driving and maintenance regulations can be easily achieved through your ELD solution, allowing you to completely avoid these violations. In addition to the daily driving time allotted to a trucker, the FMCSA`s HOS guidelines also describe the number, duration, and frequency of their breaks as follows: Sleepy driving means you have poor reaction time, impaired decision-making, and tunnel vision. These three effects are great dangers on the road and put your life and the lives of other motorists at risk. That is why it is important to meet this deadline. Regulations are in place for all commercial truckers to ensure they are not overworked.
A tired or exhausted truck driver is a danger to himself and everyone else on the road. The main restrictions for drivers are the hours they can drive and mandatory breaks. These rules are established by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Another thing that will help you avoid the inconvenience of HOS is to communicate with your carrier about the exact specifications of your cargo. Tell them the dimensions of your cargo and the timeframe so that when your truck arrives, no one is surprised and all parties are ready to go. In addition to the previous limits, you must also respect the limit of 60 hours/7 days or 70 hours/8 days. This limit is based on a rolling period of 7 or 8 days. This means that you are not allowed to drive beyond the 60-hour limit after seven days or above the 70-hour limit after eight days. Once you reach your limit, you won`t be able to drive until you have less than 70 hours for eight consecutive days. You can use time for other jobs, but you can`t use it to drive.
However, any overtime you work must be added to the total time. A commercial vehicle is defined as a truck or semi-trailer with a trailer that: As you can see, driving trucks is not as simple as jumping in the seat and driving on the road. There are strict regulations surrounding everything we do. These regulations are put in place to protect our safety and the safety of others. Failure to do so will result in penalties or, worse, injury or death to you or other drivers. Note that a driver`s clock starts the moment they get into their vehicle at the start of their shift and ends 14 hours later. This regulation states that drivers who work seven consecutive days can only be on duty for a maximum of 60 hours, while drivers who work eight consecutive days can only be on duty for a maximum of 70 hours. The 60/70 hour limit can be a bit confusing, so it`s worth thinking of this rule as a “rolling” driver`s license. “Rotation” means that these hours are not based on actual days of the week, but on a continuous (or “sliding”) period of seven or eight days.
