DOT / Hours of Service ???'s

headlight

Member
I have 4 routes. 2 routes use chevy pickups with toppers. Their gross weight is less than 10,001lbs. Do they have to go through weigh stations? Right now they just drive by, never have stopped. Our larger p500/700/1000's all go through the station but drive around the scale, the attendant barely even looks up or waves.

Back to the pickups, are they regulated as commercial vehicles at all? Seems to me the deciding factors are if it is over 10,001 lbs or carries passengers or hazmat w/placards. Debating on if my pickups have to have dot #'s on them and if we should remove them. Are they still governed by the hours of service rules? They are very rural and sometimes at peak season they push the 60/70 hours limits if weather is bad and speed is kept to a crawl.

How about the new 30 minute break rule after 8 hours that starts this summer. Does that apply to delivery drivers? we arent really driving for 8 hours straight. Adding 30 minutes to all my routes = 10 hours a week which is huge. They are all maxed as it is. The guys get paid by the day so taking a forced 30 minute break doesnt help them one bit. They just want to get done as soon as possible.
 

overflowed

Well-Known Member
I have 4 routes. 2 routes use chevy pickups with toppers. Their gross weight is less than 10,001lbs. Do they have to go through weigh stations? Right now they just drive by, never have stopped. Our larger p500/700/1000's all go through the station but drive around the scale, the attendant barely even looks up or waves.

Back to the pickups, are they regulated as commercial vehicles at all? Seems to me the deciding factors are if it is over 10,001 lbs or carries passengers or hazmat w/placards. Debating on if my pickups have to have dot #'s on them and if we should remove them. Are they still governed by the hours of service rules? They are very rural and sometimes at peak season they push the 60/70 hours limits if weather is bad and speed is kept to a crawl.

How about the new 30 minute break rule after 8 hours that starts this summer. Does that apply to delivery drivers? we arent really driving for 8 hours straight. Adding 30 minutes to all my routes = 10 hours a week which is huge. They are all maxed as it is. The guys get paid by the day so taking a forced 30 minute break doesnt help them one bit. They just want to get done as soon as possible.
Assuming this is ground or HD?
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
I have 4 routes. 2 routes use chevy pickups with toppers. Their gross weight is less than 10,001lbs. Do they have to go through weigh stations? Right now they just drive by, never have stopped. Our larger p500/700/1000's all go through the station but drive around the scale, the attendant barely even looks up or waves.

Back to the pickups, are they regulated as commercial vehicles at all? Seems to me the deciding factors are if it is over 10,001 lbs or carries passengers or hazmat w/placards. Debating on if my pickups have to have dot #'s on them and if we should remove them. Are they still governed by the hours of service rules? They are very rural and sometimes at peak season they push the 60/70 hours limits if weather is bad and speed is kept to a crawl.

How about the new 30 minute break rule after 8 hours that starts this summer. Does that apply to delivery drivers? we arent really driving for 8 hours straight. Adding 30 minutes to all my routes = 10 hours a week which is huge. They are all maxed as it is. The guys get paid by the day so taking a forced 30 minute break doesnt help them one bit. They just want to get done as soon as possible.

Shouldn't you already know this, before your drivers ever hit the road? Welcome to FedEx, where cluelessness in the new norm. One would think that FedEx would inform and educate it's contractors about little stuff, like commercial vehicle rules and regulations. Guess not.

No wonder that FMCSA score sucks.
 

hypo hanna

Well-Known Member
And why are you looking for the answers to important legal and safety questions on an Internet forum? Shouldn't you be asking the Department of Transportation? I suspect you are asking here so you might be able to find a way to skirt the law.
 

serco

Well-Known Member
There is no way you are a contractor with 4 routes asking these questions! Stop trying to feed the BS thats already on this forum! Contractors with multiple routes are buisness owners, and dam good ones too. They didnt get them by chance! But your questions contradict that on purpose!
 

northbound

Well-Known Member
20% bad drivers at ground. Just like 20% bad drivers at express and 20% bad at ups
just curious - not saying you're wrong - but where did you get these statistics from?


Been around enough to see it plus talked to a lot of contractors and drivers around the country. Think about your terminal I bet those are good figures(except of course for you guys who think ground is all crack heads while express trucks are all driven by the lords disciples)
 

Route 66

Slapped Upside-da-Head Member
Been around enough to see it plus talked to a lot of contractors and drivers around the country. Think about your terminal I bet those are good figures(except of course for you guys who think ground is all crack heads while express trucks are all driven by the lords disciples)
I don't know. I haven't worked around couriers in years so I really have no idea what the crop is like today. And I can't comment fairly on Ground either. I'm always just curious when people throw percentages out (unless they're saying "I would estimate") as to where they are getting their data from. I have heard that 95% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
 

northbound

Well-Known Member
Been around enough to see it plus talked to a lot of contractors and drivers around the country. Think about your terminal I bet those are good figures(except of course for you guys who think ground is all crack heads while express trucks are all driven by the lords disciples)
I don't know. I haven't worked around couriers in years so I really have no idea what the crop is like today. And I can't comment fairly on Ground either. I'm always just curious when people throw percentages out (unless they're saying "I would estimate") as to where they are getting their data from. I have heard that 95% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

Fair enough I would guess 20% across the board
 

headlight

Member
I figured it was a bad idea to try to post here and expect anything positive out of it. I should just walk away but i suppose this 'dufus' will give a shot at defending himself. Here goes.

Assuming this is ground or HD?
ground

Shouldn't you already know this, before your drivers ever hit the road? Welcome to FedEx, where cluelessness in the new norm. One would think that FedEx would inform and educate it's contractors about little stuff, like commercial vehicle rules and regulations. Guess not.

No wonder that FMCSA score sucks.

I operate my pickups the same as express operates theirs in my area. I dont take them through the scales, neither do they. My question was based on DOT/FMCSA regulations that a commercial motor vehicle is defined as having a gvw over 10,001 lbs, or carries passengers, or carries hazmat material requiring placards. My pickups do none of those things, hence my question, are they a "commercial motor vehicle?" The obvious answer is yes because they are a fedex truck, but based on the definitions in section 390.5, one could argue no(has anyone here ever read 390.5 before?). I ask not because I'm "clueless" but because it's a grey area, care to answer or do you not know the answer either? Fedex puts the DOT # on my trucks, so they operate as CMV's, always have, probably always will. My question, does fedex have to place the dot # on pickups under 10,001lbs and if so, why(what requlation says so? be specific). We get plenty about rules/regs from fedex through e-mails, handouts, and their website for contractors/isp's. Nothing on this specific topic.

And why are you looking for the answers to important legal and safety questions on an Internet forum? Shouldn't you be asking the Department of Transportation? I suspect you are asking here so you might be able to find a way to skirt the law.

If you think I take anything anyone says here as the whole truth you're crazier than I've been made out to be. I've been here long enough to know who to take advice from and who not to. Just stirring up conversation, plain and simple. What law do you suspect me of trying to skirt? I assure you, that's the last thing I'm trying to do but I'm curious what you think I could be conjuring up!

There is no way you are a contractor with 4 routes asking these questions! Stop trying to feed the BS thats already on this forum! Contractors with multiple routes are buisness owners, and dam good ones too. They didnt get them by chance! But your questions contradict that on purpose!

I've been with fedex ground for over 10 years, starting as a helper then working for another contractor for most of those years. The opportunity came up where another contractor wanted out, I offered him a deal, fedex approved. I am a business owner, I didnt get here by chance. Dont believe me? oh well.

Express employee trying to make Ground look bad....

If you want to call it like you see it, that's your call. I think you're taking my questions too seriously. These are just questions I would ask other contractors if I was sitting around having a beer with them. Again, I'm not looking for legal advice, just real world interpretations of the rules and regs.

According to a State Police officer in MY state, (as i was in a Sprinter) all commercial vehicles must go through a weigh station.

My question was not if all commercial vehicles must stop at weigh stations, but if a pickup weighing less than 10,001 lbs was considered a CMV. The DOT scale here has actually instructed me personally to pull into the weigh station if I'm in a step-van but that I could bypass the scale itself because it's virtually impossible to overload a step van. Other contractors here who have stepvans do the same, all step vans go through weigh station and skip the line if there is one and just drive around the scale and wave. Nobody here with a pickup ever stops at the weigh station or goes over the scale. Neither does coke/pepsi, local construction companies with pickups, etc.

I think there's a <20% chance that we'll hear back from "headlight" on this thread.
Dufus.

Dufus here, checking in. Probably go back to lurking and not posting beyond this thread based on the warm response I've gotten. Thanks!

Express isn't worthy of the many good people who've hung on and carried their water for many years.

I get along with most express drivers in my area but some look at us as if we are out to take their jobs. I avoid those select few but I hang out with an express guy on weekends. We ran into each other one weekend and realized we have the same hobby. We have come to the conclusion that we both have the same goal but are getting there via a different path. He wants benefits, retirement, good pay. I want good enough settlements so I can fund my own retirement and benefits while providing good people good jobs and good pay for my area. my guys work more hours than the standard 9-5 but they get compensated well for it or they would leave. I havent had a drive quit since I have started. I feel bad for all you express guys/gals out there but dont blame us ground guys. I know a lot of people dont agree with the contractor model but it's not going anywhere. I would believe express will become contracted routes before they get the union. But go for it, you dont have much left to lose!
 

STFXG

Well-Known Member
They are not legally CMVs. And read your addendum 1 as to why we use FedEx DOT numbers. Simply put, there's a lease agreement in there.

Scale requirements are state by state. In my state only tractor trailers have to stop.

Your vehicles and drivers are not regulated under the DOT rules for CMVs. You must comply with HOS rules because of Addendum 11 in your contract. But you are legally required to follow employment laws based on the weight of the vehicle.
 

Mr. 7

The monkey on the left.
Well,
Why not pull in and just do what they tell you?
They tell you you don't need to hit the scale, then keep on driving.
I would stop.
 
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