I have been advised to run the USA (60/7 or 70/8) H.O.S rules by the Canadian company I’m going to be working for (even when i’m driving in Canada) and they sent me some ‘bumph’ to study.
All straightforward and pretty easy to understand… then after July 1st it seems to become as clear as mud… which is when many things change and the new ‘restart provision’ begins… it says:
New Restart Provision
‘From July 1st 2013, the new 168-hour period is counted from the beginning of the last prior restart’, the restart must also include two periods between 1:00 a.m and 5:00 a.m as well.
Maybe i’m reading this wrong (I hope i am! ) but it seems to say that between the start of your last ‘reset’, 168 hours must have elapsed before you can take another reset, even if you have used all your available work/driving hours up? , I’ve just had a couple of shots of Baileys before dinner … well… it is new year soon! … and maybe that has something to do with my misunderstanding
here are some ‘new rules’ examples in a PDF from the US Department of Transport, the restart provision bit begins on page 7… fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/hos/logbook.pdf
As I understand it, you can only have one reset in an eight day period, you also have to have your resets in ‘normal’ hours as there must be two 1am to 5am slots in any reset, this will ■■■■ up the night drivers, but won’t affect anyone else too much
newmercman:
As I understand it, you can only have one reset in an eight day period, you also have to have your resets in ‘normal’ hours as there must be two 1am to 5am slots in any reset, this will [zb] up the night drivers, but won’t affect anyone else too much
Riddiculous rule
Surely the more 34 hour resets you can get the more rested you are. It is also is a very stupid law that is so strict about drivers getting a proper rest but allows them to drive 11 hours non stop
That is also set to change by the way.
Pat Hasler:
Surely the more 34 hour resets you can get the more rested you are. It is also is a very stupid law that is so strict about drivers getting a proper rest but allows them to drive 11 hours non stop
That is also set to change by the way.
I dont mind the two periods of 1am to 5am and I can live with this 30 minute break rule, although I’d prefere the status quo to remain so I can be in complete control of when I stop so I can work it in to whats convenient for me.
My main bug bear is this stupid new reset rule. I can see this being a right pain in the arse for those of us who do longer trips and may need to reset a few days from home and then get home lets say two days later and have another 36 hours or two days off. To use this later period as a reset we’ll have to discard the previous one and in doing so will undoubtedely put us in violation of our 70/8 for that period. So we’ll either not bother having time off as we have to make use of our new more restrictive time or have time off anyway but then leave home again after two days off but not being able to do a full 70 without worrying about going over our rolling 70/8. Complete nonsense. I hope this part of the rules gets removed as soon as possible but in all honesty I think its just anothe step towards “Complete control” a la Europe. I dread to think what they will think up of next.
The new laws are not laws…yet, the tree hugging divs are up in arms over the 11hr daily driving limit, the ATA and OOIDA are up in arms about the rest of it
Don’t know why they had to mess with it in the first place, if it ain’t broke, it don’t need fixing
With the distances involved in driving in this vast country 11 hours seems the best idea but for safety reasons I will not drive more than 5 hours without stopping for a break. Driving non-stop for even 10 hours is dangerous.
Pat Hasler:
With the distances involved in driving in this vast country 11 hours seems the best idea but for safety reasons I will not drive more than 5 hours without stopping for a break. Driving non-stop for even 10 hours is dangerous.
I regularly do more than 5 hours but I’d never do 10 or 11. When heading south from NB for the 81 at Scranton and then on to Georgia, the Carolinas or Tennessee etc I’ll stop at get my shopping at the Walmart in Newport, ME and I’ll then do a solid 7.5-8hrs to my destination for the night which is the last rest area on the 84 before Scranton which can be done in 10.15-10.45 driving from our yard. This may seem a lot but as most of it is in my least favourite states of MA and CT where there is absolutely nothing for me to want to stop at, I wont. Obviously I may pull in to a rest area for the toilet or something for 15 minutes if I want to, but I’m not stopping for a 30 minute break for no reason at all. In the scenario above, I’m more interested in just getting past an area that I detest and parking up for the night and going to bed so stopping just for the sake of stopping is only delaying that. Above all else though, whats the most important thing for me is being able to stop when I choose to, not when the log book says, not when the DOT or the US/Canadian government says and not when my company says. If I want to stop 1 hour in to the day for an hour, then I will but the same goes for if I want to drive for 7 or 8 hours on occasion. Generally though if I’m on a long distance trip with nothing but a solid days driving I’ll do 5-6 hours, stop for an hour or more, then do whatever is left of my 11. I prefere to have a big chunk off during the middle of the day for a meal and a shower rather than having to queue for it at night.
I ran like a maniac when I was self employed, doing Milford MA to Tampa FL in two non stop stints. The guy I ran with could do 11 hours without stopping, he could even pee in a mountain dew bottle as he drove
the peeing into a bottle thing is alright when your young get into your 60s like me peeing everywhere and prostate problems germ ridden things are truckers…
kr79:
The big fountain soda cups are ideal for this pusuit. I’m working on the taking a crap procedure now.
Having just left my last ever ‘trying to be helpful’ post on the UK ‘Pro Drivers’ forum, I thought i would have a quick look on the ex-pat bit and read about more informative stuff…
An en suite is an essential piece of kit for any driver in Canada, at minus stupidly cold you don’t want to be getting out to pee too often and if you’re over 40 everytime you do get out you will suddenly need to pee
The one piece of advice I have is to ensure the receptacle you use has a neck wider than your bell end, if not there will be an air lock and you will get blow back
With this in mind I have a 45gallon drum that I use for emergencies
Learning more about this new 168 hours (every 7 day maximum reset) I realise that I am the driver they are targeting (which is exactly the sort of driver Canada and the US is in short supply of! FFS!)
The 'Long Haul driver who works up to 70 hours per week, has a 34 reset then works 70 hours the following week.
When the new rules come in (July 1st 2013) I can’t forsee how I can make any money where I am currently working, so I’m seeking employment elsewhere where they pay by the hour. any jobs going with LMO’s in Canada who pays by the hour ? anywhere ?..
contractdriver:
Learning more about this new 168 hours (every 7 day maximum reset) I realise that I am the driver they are targeting (which is exactly the sort of driver Canada and the US is in short supply of! FFS!)
The 'Long Haul driver who works up to 70 hours per week, has a 34 reset then works 70 hours the following week.
When the new rules come in (July 1st 2013) I can’t forsee how I can make any money where I am currently working, so I’m seeking employment elsewhere where they pay by the hour. any jobs going with LMO’s in Canada who pays by the hour ? anywhere ?..
Unless they change the long haul pay structure all I can see is that after July 1st many thousands of long haul Canadian and US drivers will be leaving the industry, no one will replace them cos who’s gonna sit around all weekend not getting paid then two days later has to take a 34 reset … unpaid again!.. FFS… many drivers don’t even know (or understand) about the new rule!
) but it seems to say that between the start of your last ‘reset’, 168 hours must have elapsed before you can take another reset, even if you have used all your available work/driving hours up? 
… well… it is new year soon! 
… and maybe that has something to do with my misunderstanding 
forum, I thought i would have a quick look on the ex-pat bit and read about more informative stuff… 
