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Today's Poll: Should truck drivers be required to drive less, get more rest?

By Howard B. Owens
Howard B. Owens

"Collins' amendment would stall two measures that were part of a batch of new trucker rules instituted last year. One requires that drivers take 34 consecutive hours off before starting a new one-week work period. The other mandates that time off include two overnight rest periods, between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., back to back. Those "restart" requirements only kick in for drivers who hit 70 hours over an eight-day work period, or 60 hours over a seven-day work period."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/09/tracy-morgan-crash-truck-safet…

Jun 10, 2014, 6:40am Permalink
Raymond Richardson

From the FMCSA Regulations:

§ 395.3: Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles.

(2) 14-hour period. A driver may drive only during a period of 14 consecutive hours after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty. The driver may not drive after the end of the 14-consecutive-hour period without first taking 10 consecutive hours off duty.
(3) Driving time and rest breaks. (i) Driving time. A driver may drive a total of 11 hours during the 14-hour period specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

Jun 10, 2014, 8:16am Permalink
Bob Harker

The current regulations are more than adequate. I think many of the yes votes may be knee jerk reactions to the Tracy Morgan incident. Though so tragic that a person died, the truck driver willingly broke the law by driving more than 24 consecutive hours and thus has been criminally charged. Newer, stricter laws would not have prevented this accident.

Jun 10, 2014, 10:23am Permalink
tom hunt

the obvious answer is YES....but it will never happen. In the trucking industry: Time=Money. As long as material has to be delivered within a certain time frame there will be drivers that push the envelope.

Jun 10, 2014, 10:39am Permalink
Dave Olsen

require, require, require. regulate, regulate, regulate. Good Heavens when does it stop. Bob is right, tougher regulations won't make anyone safer. They will, however make anything transported by truck more expensive.

Jun 10, 2014, 11:44am Permalink
Chuck Lowder

First, I am not by no means defending this Wal-Mart truck driver that caused this crash or any other driver that pushes the envelope.
I drove tractor trailers professionally for 30 accident free years, retiring in 1997. I have picked up and delivered in all 48 contiguous states including DC. No matter what the rules are, some drivers will push the limit just like any other business does. Delivering a load on time is vital in the trucking business and their customers. Generally, deliveries are done in the morning and pickups for the next load are done in the afternoons that often can create a very tight schedule as some shippers has short loading hours.
Shippers need to be held accountable for “Just-In-Time” shipments, meaning the load has to be delivered ASAP (the auto industry is notorious for this). For example, I remember this trip very, very well like it happened yesterday. One time I had a L. L. Bean Fed-Ex load to pick up in Freeport, ME. I got to L. L. Bean at lunch time and was told that dispatch wasn’t open until 10 PM. So I dropped my trailer and parked next to another trailer. There was snow on the ground and the plows had pushed snow up to the trailer next to me. I then ate and jumped into the bunk and slept until about 9 PM. I stood in-line until the dispatch opened right at 10 PM. I was dispatched for Dulles Airport in Va., a 550+ mile trip with a 9 AM delivery time. I went to get my trailer and it was the one that I was parked right next to. I had to get someone to plow the snow out so I could hook up to the trailer. So here is the trailer that was already loaded for some time before I even got there but L.L. Bean wouldn’t release the load. I finely got under way but the weather was bad and I got to a small truck stop and decided the conditions were just too bad to continue.
The moral of this story is that shippers need to be held accountable to make sure their product is available to ship within a time frame that allows drivers to get their proper rest and other conditions that may arise while in transit. And also, the trucking companies need to be held accountable also for pushing drivers beyond their limit.
Another company I worked for (not long though), I got back home on a month long west coast runs. As soon as I got home, they wanted me to turn right around and go right back out to Oregon again the next day. A comment was said to me that he (the owner) didn’t understand why his drivers didn’t want to work. Duh...

Jun 10, 2014, 12:29pm Permalink
Bob Harker

I agree with what you said Chuck, but ultimately it is the person behind the wheel that is responsible for the safe operation of their vehicle.

You made the right choice in putting safety above on-time delivery. My bet is some don't.

Jun 10, 2014, 1:18pm Permalink
Chuck Lowder

Bob, You are 100% correct. It “IS” the responsibility of the person behind the wheel to operate the vehicle is a safe manner and abide with all the laws in the states they drive in. When I first started out driving dump trailer in LeRoy (I was only 19 at the time), my (late) boss would pull me to the side and give me some driving tips that I live by today. And the biggest tip that he gave me was no matter where you’re at, “ALWAYS LEAVE YOURSELF AN OUT”. I have to give him the credit for providing me with these tip that kept myself and others safe on the roads.
In my first post, I just wanted to tell others about the pressure that is put on the drivers by both the shippers and their employer. Unfortunately, the bottom line is all about $$$.

Jun 10, 2014, 5:28pm Permalink

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