HOS For New People

Also, next time you leave there, forget the company routing that brings you down 91,95 and through NYC. Go north from Nucor up to 691, 84, 87, 287 and down that way. It only adds a few more miles, but save you hours.

Great advice Turtle. I go to Connecticut an awful lot. I have gotten to where I never use the company's routing. Once a driver gets familiar with these areas they can usually rely on their own instincts to help them move efficiently through that ridiculous I-95 corridor in the Northeast.

I feel like HoS is going to be the biggest challenge. But going thru the module, I have copied a section, that is someone could clarify, I would appreciate it.

You began working at 6:00 a.m. (vehicle inspection, fueling, loading / unloading freight, etc.). That makes 6:00 a.m. your starting calculation point for the 14 hour on duty limit. You must not drive your truck after 8:00 p.m. that evening (14 hours later). You may do other work after 8:00 p.m. (load / unload freight, perform maintenance duties, etc.), but you cannot do any more driving until you have taken 10 consecutive hours off duty. Once you have taken 10 consecutive hours off duty, your 14 hour limit will start over as soon as you go back on duty.

So, if the above is true, work starts at 6am, and so does your 14hr clock, which then ends at 8pm or 2000hrs, why is this telling me I can perform duties after by 14 hr clock, that I can't do before the start at 6am? Wouldn't I do the same loading, unloading, pretrip before my 14hr, so save the start of my 14hrs?

Thanks.

Wouldn't I do the same loading, unloading, pretrip before my 14hr, so save the start of my 14hrs?

That all depends on your circumstances. What if you had to drive for two hours before you got to the customer where you were going to be loading at? In that scenario your time loading will be counting against your 14 hour clock. There are all kinds of situations you will find yourself in. Your suggestion of getting some of that out of the way before starting your clock is what many people will do to conserve their drive time.

While you're in training your trainer will have their own ideas of how they want you to manage your clock. Oftentimes if it's a lease operator they will work it to their best benefit. When you are on your own you will develop your own style of time management. Always have as your priority that you are getting enough rest so that you are operating safely.

Flexibility is key to time management out here. There's hardly a day goes by when I'm not having to alter my plans somewhat. That is where your knowledge of the HOS rules will allow you to adjust and keep things moving in a profitable way.

Remember, all the examples given in that training module are designed to help you learn how the rules work. They are not designed to show you how to manage your own time. Each of us develops his own style and method of doing that. But you simply cannot do it successfully without a firm grasp of how those rules work.

Thank you Old School!!

I feel like HoS is going to be the biggest challenge. But going thru the module, I have copied a section, that is someone could clarify, I would appreciate it.

You began working at 6:00 a.m. (vehicle inspection, fueling, loading / unloading freight, etc.). That makes 6:00 a.m. your starting calculation point for the 14 hour on duty limit. You must not drive your truck after 8:00 p.m. that evening (14 hours later). You may do other work after 8:00 p.m. (load / unload freight, perform maintenance duties, etc.), but you cannot do any more driving until you have taken 10 consecutive hours off duty. Once you have taken 10 consecutive hours off duty, your 14 hour limit will start over as soon as you go back on duty.

So, if the above is true, work starts at 6am, and so does your 14hr clock, which then ends at 8pm or 2000hrs, why is this telling me I can perform duties after by 14 hr clock, that I can't do before the start at 6am? Wouldn't I do the same loading, unloading, pretrip before my 14hr, so save the start of my 14hrs?

Thanks.

It's not telling you that or you are interpreting it wrong. You can work for however long you want and whenever you want. It will however, seriously screw your entire day up if you log on duty before your 10 is up. You'll have to start your 10 over or do an 8-2 split.

The difference is if you log a little time on duty after your 14 is up, it will just mean a later start in the morning as your 10 will start later.

I don't want to confuse you anymore so bottom line is this, go with the minimum time that your company requires for logging on duty actions and get used to the idea of still working a little while logged off duty. You won't have to every day/night and there will be runs that allow you to take a bit longer than 10 hours every night. It's just about getting it done and setting yourself up for success.

For example.. I get to a shipper and immediately log on duty - secure for 30 min. I am then logged in the sleeper berth for the remainder of the time. Shipper takes 4-5 hours(somewhat rare in flat bed) to begin loading me. It takes me 1-2 hours to secure and tarp. I get a few hours sleep on top of whatever naps I may or may not have got during the delay and when my 10 is up I am. Off I go running nights and still delivering on time or early.

Thanks. I guess it will be one of those things that you learn as you go, and best practices will surely become more clear. Thanks.