Several Questions About Becoming A Truck Driver.

I'm going to run through the Logs section on High Road....I can use any help I can get!

Restarts have never been "forced". The restarts have always been an option for us to reset hours but have never been forced. There are many drivers out here,myself included, that have ran off our recaps for weeks on end and never have to do a restart.

Maybe I'm confused...I thought the new regulations as of 1 July required the reset, and required one every 6/7 days, at the end of the week, no matter what you have done during the week.

Here's a quote from the card handed out at the DOT briefing:

"60/70-Hour On-Duty Limit May not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. A driver may restart a 7/8 consecutive day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty. Must include two periods from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. home terminal time, and may only be used once per week, or 168 hours, measured from the beginning of the previous restart."

60/70-Hour On-Duty Limit May not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. A driver MAY restart a 7/8 consecutive day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty. Must include two periods from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. home terminal time, and may only be used once per week, or 168 hours, measured from the beginning of the previous restart."

See the word "MAY"? That means they can choose to use the restart but don't have to use it. Its the drivers choice

Its not mandatotry. It just depends on how fas you burn your 70 hour clock. If you drive 11 hours per day you will have to do a reset. If you drivr less hours a day and spread your hours then you will be able to get hours back daily and not need to take the reset.

Okay, you are confused, and it can be confusing. You reminded me of one thing that I forgot to say and that was that requirement to include two periods between 1am and 5am. But let's set that aside and talk about the fact that the reset or restart as some call it is not forced on you.

There's nothing that says "at the end of the week, no matter what you've done during the week". What the ruling states is that after you've driven for 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days. That is what is referred to as your 70 hour clock. And, yes, after you've bumped up against that seventy hour clock you can't drive. Now, if you've driven for eight days, then when the clock strikes midnight you get to drive in a special pumpkin shaped carriage! Naw, I'm kidding you, what happens is you'll get the hours back that you worked nine days ago, that is what is called your re-cap hours. If it is only four hours, then you can work four hours that day. Or it may be considerably more than that. Like I said I don't want to get into the whole thing here, but this is a good motivation for you to buckle down on that logs book section in the High Road Training Program, because it will make it much more clear than I can, and it will be very beneficial to your career and your ability to make more money in this business.

60/70-Hour On-Duty Limit May not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. A driver MAY restart a 7/8 consecutive day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty. Must include two periods from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. home terminal time, and may only be used once per week, or 168 hours, measured from the beginning of the previous restart."

See the word "MAY"? That means they can choose to use the restart but don't have to use it. Its the drivers choice

I see that, but doesn't this trump it?

60/70-Hour On-Duty Limit May not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days.

I had started a long winded explanation and got my entire post erased..so here is another shorter one..check out the link below and you will see a chart that has HOS listed..you will see that on day 9, your hours from day 1 add back on..these are your "recap" hours and as long as you keep recap hours, you don't need to do a restart..

HOS chart

Hope this helps more than confuses..

After reading all the comments on here and other websites I am wondering why ANYONE would want to drive a truck. After you factor in the hours you'll make what, minimum wage. I have also heard of people making 750 take home right out of school every week on a dedicated route. Also know of someone who went to school. Got 1 month of training then got a 4 day a week dedicated route making 55k. And there are alot of other stories that drivers are making well over 40k so why is it all the negative crap on here. After reading this website only I'd run from this career. Its like all the veterans out there dont want any newbies on the road. I'd never do this job for less than 40k. Then again alot of the people on here only hope to make more than minimum wage is to drive a truck or they aren't smart enough to leave a bad paying job or find a better one.

After reading all the comments on here and other websites I am wondering why ANYONE would want to drive a truck. After you factor in the hours you'll make what, minimum wage. I have also heard of people making 750 take home right out of school every week on a dedicated route. Also know of someone who went to school. Got 1 month of training then got a 4 day a week dedicated route making 55k. And there are alot of other stories that drivers are making well over 40k so why is it all the negative crap on here. After reading this website only I'd run from this career. Its like all the veterans out there dont want any newbies on the road. I'd never do this job for less than 40k. Then again alot of the people on here only hope to make more than minimum wage is to drive a truck or they aren't smart enough to leave a bad paying job or find a better one.

Did you fall and hit your head before you posted this?? The only negativity on this site comes from first time posters who ask questions like"Why anyone would want to drive a truck"...There are a LOT of really good, helpful people on this site and they share their knowledge every day..you go onto contradict yourself time and time again..people making $750 a week TAKE-HOME right out of school..that is roughly $3000 a MONTH..not minimum wage...If the only thing you got from reading the THOUSANDS of questions, answers and comments was an overall sense of negativity..brother, do us ALL a favor and RUN from trucking...and as far as throwing out your last comment about people not being smart enough to leave a bad job and find a good paying one...I happen to have a degree in LAW, 20+ years as a certified Law Enforcement officer AND have been gainfully employed for almost 30 years..and guess what??? I'm not the smartest person here....I want to become a truck driver for the LIFE STYLE..NOT the pay..and everyone on this website who asks is told..this is NOT a job you will get rich from..this is a job you live..you're either a truck driver or you're NOT..but don't you dare come on this forum and start throwing out insults..

Roadkill summed it up pretty well, its about the life not the job. Sure if you add up total hours away from home it may not look great per hour but it is better than a lot of available jobs and some of us seem to like it.

As far as why your reading about all these high paying right out of school jobs (or hearing) at other sites then coming on here and seeing the numbers quoted? Its called Trucking Truth for a reason. The posters on here do not blow smoke up peoples asses, they tell it like it is. Sure, some may get lucky and run into a nice dedicated job that pays more, and some will make less. But what they are relaying is from experience what people will make on average.

As far as the not smart enough comment, I think I will just leave that one alone. You may be better suited to go hang out at one of the other trucking sites that will tell you what you want to hear.

Woody

Frankly its best not to respond to this post. Mostly its a Troll from another website that does not have the sense that god gave a box of rocks.

Know what the funniest thing is...he accuses truck drivers about not being smart then he goes and post what he did therefore putting in writing and proving that he is not the smartest person in a group of one.

I think the saying goes "Remain silent and have people wonder if you are stupid or speak up and remove all doubt." Or something like that. I think he removed all doubt with his sideways insult.

And anyone that has not been to those other forums the OP is what those other sites are full of.