Hours Of Operation

That is probably for New Zealand.

Dave

Yep, New Zealand... NZ, Aotearoa, KiwiLand.

I'm getting the info straight out of the study guide for logbooks for the Class 2 HT licence course, with reference to the Land Transport Act 1998 and other laws, regulations and Acts of Parliament.

As I said, reading all your complicated regulations with split sleepers, recaps, etc, makes me glad things are simpler here.

The only exception i have ever seen to the 11/14/70 rules are for local drivers which do not currently run logs. If you are OTR and you run local deliveries at my company we have a macro that does not effect our regular HOS. Not sure how this works though.

The only exception i have ever seen to the 11/14/70 rules are for local drivers which do not currently run logs. If you are OTR and you run local deliveries at my company we have a macro that does not effect our regular HOS. Not sure how this works though.

Thomas, what you're referring to is the 100 Air Mile Radius Exception and we cover this in the Logbook Section of our High Road Training Program.

Here's the passage that describes this exception:

100 Air Mile Radius Exception

You are not required to fill out a log with a graph grid if you come under the 100 air mile radius exception. The 100 air mile radius exception applies for any day in which you:

- Drive within a 100 air-mile radius of your normal work reporting location.
- Return to your work reporting location and are released within 12 consecutive hours.
- Follow the 10 hour off duty and 11 hour driving requirements.

Your motor carrier must keep time records of the times you report for and are released from work each day, and the total hours on duty each day. You do not have to have these records in your truck.

This exception is optional. For example, you and your employer may choose to use a logbook even though you are within the 100 air mile radius, so that you do not have to be released from work within 12 hours that day.

Thanks Brett, That is interesting. I never knew why they do it. My company always kicks an extra $36-$48 for doing local deliveries plus $14/Hr to do them so i spend 1 day every 2 week run just doing them because nobody seems to want them. I like the extra cash and it seems to make dispatch happy. I don't know if other companies do this but i will take them every time. we do not have any local drivers at my terminal so anytime someone runs out of hours and dumps a load on the yard someone has to run it. The wife loves it because i make enough money that i can be out 14 days and home for 5-7 days.

My company always kicks an extra $36-$48 for doing local deliveries plus $14/Hr to do them so i spend 1 day every 2 week run just doing them because nobody seems to want them. I like the extra cash and it seems to make dispatch happy.

Ah HA! Man, in the other thread where we were discussing better pay options that might be out there you mentioned you were getting great miles and I said:

Man, let me tell ya.....half the drivers in the country would take those numbers in a heartbeat....especially as a rookie at a dry van company in March when things tend to be slow. If you're getting those kind of miles and runs then the people at your company really, really like you. You must be doing an awesome job or they'd never keep you rolling like that.

...and here we are about two minutes later and now I know exactly why they're taking such great care of you.....because you're taking such great care of them! Running those local runs like that will get you everywhere in trucking. Getting great miles and fair treatment is all about trading favors with dispatch, and running those local runs are the best favor you could ever do. If you go into the dispatcher's offices they probably have your face up on the "Driver's Hall of Fame" board and you'll get a standing ovation when you walk through the door.

And I'd be willing to bet a million bucks that many of the drivers from your company that you meet out there are constantly complaining about not getting enough miles and all you can do is shrug your shoulders and laugh all the way to the bank. Well now you know why.

This is one of the biggest points we try to get across to new drivers. It's not about finding a "good company" to work for. It's about being a safe, reliable, hard working driver that knows how to get along with people and is willing to take the bad loads with the good. You have to trade favors. You have to work together with dispatch. You scratch their back, they'll scratch yours. And most importantly - the order matters! From a driver's perspective it's not "You scratch my back then I'll scratch yours". Nope - the other way around. The driver has to prove themselves to dispatch first and in return dispatch will take great care of those who have earned it and deserve it.

You're in a great position where you're at. You have dispatch on your side. It doesn't get any better than that. The pay per mile you're getting right now might not be the best in the industry, but the mileage you're getting is and soon enough they'll put you in a better truck as icing on the cake. There is no perfect job out there. There are always some compromises to be made. But once you've earned a great reputation and you have dispatch on your side you're in about the best situation you can ever hope to be in. Jumping ship for greener pastures is going to be pretty risky.

It is working great for me and i have been in a 2012 Volvo for a while, but i am seeing a few 2014 Pro Star's roll in to some of the guys that have been around for a long time. Hoping that someday maybe my name will come up for one of them.