Just to sort out some of the rumours about the 168 hour rule. I have checked with DOT and it’s not meaning you can’t start your 34 hour reset untill the 168 hours has passed, it means your reset only counts once in any 168 hours, it does not mean you can’t start your 34 hour reset before 168 hours has passed, only that just one 34 hour period will count in ant 7 day week.
In other words, if you start a reset on Friday afternoon at 6pm for example, you can’t start the next one until the following Friday afternoon at 6pm. So if you park up on Thursday at 6pm on week 2 and dont start until Sunday at 6am, only Friday from 6pm will count.
I’ve had a few arguments this week with drivers who swear blind the 168hr rule starts AFTER the end of a reset period. Most drivers however, as usual, have no idea that the law has changed and give you a totally bemused look when you mention it.
they way I see it is that its yet another way for the DOT to try and sting more moeny out of us in fines. shouldnt really effect me in my new job as its more monday - friday
taffytrucker:
they way I see it is that its yet another way for the DOT to try and sting more moeny out of us in fines. shouldnt really effect me in my new job as its more monday - friday
New job?
Wrong Robin, you do not have to wait untill the 168 hours after you started your previous 34 hours, you can start it earlier, all the law says is only one 34 hour reset will be permitted in any 168 hour period. It’s a little bit like the 2 and 8 hour split break rule you can take a few 2 hour breaks in the working day but only the first 3 hours actually count.
You can start after 4 or 5 day if you wish but only one 34 hour period off dity will count in the 168 hours.
If it doesn’t count then its pointless and not a reset though, is it?
If like I said before, I start my reset this Friday at 6pm and start work again on Sunday at 6am, the next time another reset will start to actually count as a reset and not just dead time will be 7 times 24 hours from the start of that reset, which will be the following Friday at 6pm, even if I do happen to have Tuesday and Wednesday off. Where am I going wrong?
The 168 hour rule rears it’s ugly head and the bar room brawls and punch up’s have started already … 
I think you are both right… Pat says one reset allowed in every 168 hours…168 hours is seven days…and Robins says he takes his reset within every seven days, so Robin can take a reset and be ready for work same time, same day the following week.
I’m stuffed with the new rules. My job is random and it’s difficult to plan anything. I have tried to run the new rules for the past few weeks using my ‘updated’ computerised ‘Drivers Daily Log’ and failed, the 168 hours rule being the thorn in my side.
The ‘computer says’ i cannot start an accepted reset (it warns me it’s not a reset and only a break from duty) until 168 hours has elapsed since the BEGINNING of my last reset.
So if only 160 hours have passed since the BEGINNING of your last reset, and you need to reset again… you will have to add the missing 8 hours to make a total of 168 hours… American 34 hours will be 42 hours off or add an extra 6 for the Canadian 36 hours which would be 42 off also… before you can begin with a clean 70 hour slate again.
My job is often the same way. Many of my runs last more than a week and cannot be completed within my 70/8 so I often have to reset on the road but due to delivery appointments and the realities of the job I come to my 70 well before the end of day 7 / 168 hours have passed so in theory I’d often need to sit an extra day, in addition to the actual reset and then you have to take in to account the 1am to 5am rule, which isn’t usually an issue with the way I run, but now its an issue whereas before it was not. Perhaps a Monday to Friday job will now be the way forward for those of us who dont wish to be stuck earning no money in a truckstop due to federally dreamt up nonsense.
robinhood_1984:
My job is often the same way. Many of my runs last more than a week and cannot be completed within my 70/8 so I often have to reset on the road but due to delivery appointments and the realities of the job I come to my 70 well before the end of day 7 / 168 hours have passed so in theory I’d often need to sit an extra day, in addition to the actual reset and then you have to take in to account the 1am to 5am rule, which isn’t usually an issue with the way I run, but now its an issue whereas before it was not. Perhaps a Monday to Friday job will now be the way forward for those of us who dont wish to be stuck earning no money in a truckstop due to federally dreamt up nonsense.
I fail to see how the 168 hours rule will affect anyone, it’s a piece of nonsense. If you take a reset at any time and then run up against your 70 hours before getting home absolutely nothing has changed, you need another day off then use the recap.
robinhood_1984:
taffytrucker:
they way I see it is that its yet another way for the DOT to try and sting more moeny out of us in fines. shouldnt really effect me in my new job as its more monday - fridayNew job?
Yes Robin
On the road again:
robinhood_1984:
My job is often the same way. Many of my runs last more than a week and cannot be completed within my 70/8 so I often have to reset on the road but due to delivery appointments and the realities of the job I come to my 70 well before the end of day 7 / 168 hours have passed so in theory I’d often need to sit an extra day, in addition to the actual reset and then you have to take in to account the 1am to 5am rule, which isn’t usually an issue with the way I run, but now its an issue whereas before it was not. Perhaps a Monday to Friday job will now be the way forward for those of us who dont wish to be stuck earning no money in a truckstop due to federally dreamt up nonsense.I fail to see how the 168 hours rule will affect anyone, it’s a piece of nonsense. If you take a reset at any time and then run up against your 70 hours before getting home absolutely nothing has changed, you need another day off then use the recap.
I tried the recap a while ago, but to run it daily at 8.75 hours duty per day got me nowhere (except parked somewhere i didn’t want to be with an unhappy boss because i was covering less miles and also making less money) and 11 hours duty a day had me out of duty time in six and a bit days so may as well had a 34 (36) reset anyway.
Home Terminal Time.
The other stupidest new rule (on top of the 168 rule) is the 1am to 5am rule back to back within a 34 reset (36!), if i’m in California it will have to be 12 midnight to 4am (California Time) and if i’m in Texas it’s going to have to be 2am till 6am back to back (Texas Time)
If i cant begin a reset before or after these back to back time’s (and also after 168 hours has elapsed!), i will have to add on the extra time to cover the ‘back to back time’ FFS!
So before July 1st, when i could still reset at ANYTIME and run 70/8, i was able to reset when i had an ‘opportunity’ and have the duty time to get ‘home’ and have another 36 reset at home, and have enough time to complete my next trip, reset when i had the chance and get home again, for another 36 reset at home… but the new rules have scuppered that and getting ‘home’ to see my family are now going to become non existent, so i think my days here are numbered. 
So… It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It’s the one that is the most adaptable to change… is a load of old ■■■■■■■■ as well! 
We got a message on friday afternoon, telling us not to log out all weekend, our elogs will switch over at 05.00am monday and I will just go along with what info it gives me, I am not sure what the display is going to show regarding the 8 hours max before a 30 minute break rule, will it show the normal allowance or just display 8 hours ?
Pat Hasler:
We got a message on friday afternoon, telling us not to log out all weekend, our elogs will switch over at 05.00am monday and I will just go along with what info it gives me, I am not sure what the display is going to show regarding the 8 hours max before a 30 minute break rule, will it show the normal allowance or just display 8 hours ?
I’m off my Peoplenet Elogs now Pat.
I went back on the ‘Drivers Daily Log’ (ELD = Electronic Logging Device) which shows a ‘red line’ at eight hours after my ‘booking on time’ and the words ‘potential violation’ written next to the time!.. .
I stop for breaks, coffee, facebook video processing and load checks every three to four hours anyway, but it’s just another bit of needless legislation as Taffytrucker says " for the DOT to make some extra revenue from".
I guess i’m going to have to plan my breaks a bit more now so i have a 30 minute one between Six and Eight hours to keep me legal on a 14 hour spreadover.
The FMCSA site says the 34 hour rule is to make sure drivers get rest
How totally stupid is it if having two days off in the middle of the week doesn’t count as rest ?
I am at a loss ? … Time to throw the towel in I think.
Pat Hasler:
The FMCSA site says the 34 hour rule is to make sure drivers get rest
How totally stupid is it if having two days off in the middle of the week doesn’t count as rest ?
I am at a loss ? … Time to throw the towel in I think.
I think a lot are thinking the same way. Its only going to keep getting worse know, we all know from our experiences in Europe that once they get a taste for zealous regulation that its a slippery slope downwards.
I finished at 6 pm last Friday and restarted at 8 pm last night, ran up to Ben & Jerry’s and was home at 2.30am today for 10 hours. I phoned in at 10 am and I don’t have a load till Wednesday, so I will run down tomorrow evening, take 10 off and then be home for the 4th of July celebrations, I got a call at noon sugesting I log in and on duty just for a while because if I don’t and actually take 34 off the new system will recognise that as my 34 hour reset and my next will be next monday 
I decided to log in and take my trailer to the truckstop in Fort Ann and bobtail back home, this triggered the new system and I got a message saying my next 34 hour reset can start at 6.00pm on the 5th. I will be off for over 34 hours before the 34 hours can start … fire the idiot who thought up this rule FFS
Under the new rules don’t you have to make note of which period of 34 (or 36 in our case) will count as the reset if more than one are had?
Well … My elog seems to have selected last weekend from 6.00pm fri as the start of my reset, so pick the start of your weekend as the start then include 01.00 sat and sun, also 05.00 sun, that way you can start your next reset. From the first reset onwards, it’s easy (if you can call it that) just take it that your next reset must start no earlier tan exactly one week after you started the last one.
Completely stupid law, invented by morons.
Welcome to the EU.
Sorry, I mean the US.
It already created a problem for me when yesterday my regional manager who is a really nice guy and a good friend who has been landed with doing dispatch from weds to next monday called me aand asked “Which Sunday Ben & Jerry’s load do you want ?” … bieng a holiday week I didn’t really want anything and my normal dispatcher woudn’t even think of giving me a load because he would know I would want all the days off. I felt a bit sorry for the poor guy so I said “Give me the 23.00 delivery” … this loads at 19.00 on Friday, I then got to thinking that if it was delayed in any way and it took me untill even one minute after 01.00 to get home I coundn’t then start again untill after 05.00am on Monday so I called and told him the loading time needed changing, this tatally screwed up the whole loading schedule and Domino’s but hey ! needs must 
Now I have to run down to NYC on Friday by 16.00, load and get back in time.
After a discussion with our DOT official yesterday morning concerning the 168 hour rule, even if I can only begin a restart at 18.00 of firday (which is waht I was informed) if I actually went off duty yesterday at 18.00 for instance, although it would still have to include Saturday at 01.00, Sunday at 01.00 and Sunday at 05.00, yesterday at 18.00 wuld still be the start of the break and so next week I could then begin a reset at 18.00 on Wednesday and include 01.00 on Thursday and Friday etc … are you confused yet ? LOL