Your comments needed NOW on proposed Hours of Service Changes

[hellfire]

As for the package car driver suggestion - a package car driver only spends 3-4 hours a day driving unless they are in a super-rural area.

my red faced friend know that i agree with you on alot of inner workings,, however to even post such nonsense belittles you

 

[Catatonic]

As for the package car driver suggestion - a package car driver only spends 3-4 hours a day driving unless they are in a super-rural area.

my red faced friend know that i agree with you on a lot of inner workings,, however to even post such nonsense belittles you

Unless the DOT has changed their mind, that was and as far as I know always been their ruling. I really could care less, just trying to enlighten people who were mislead by the original post.
No skin off my back if you all make your suggestions thinking otherwise is the case ... knock yourself out.

 

[bluehdmc]

I`m mixed on this. Maybe I lean to more defined restrictions based on being tired of occasionally having some 8 hour a day dispatcher tell me I can take out another run in my 11th hour because "you still have hours available". Hours on the clock and having more available and being fatigued do not necessarily go hand in hand. I`ve had days where I barely have 8 in but the day is fatiguing ( last weeks storm is an example) and others were I had maxed out and still be fresh and ready to go.
There should be definitions of being actually fatigued versus hours in.

Try telling the 8 hour dispatcher that you feel you are "too tired to continue to work safely" and then see if he insists on sending you back out. I've been in the same situation. If they continue to insist, get a witness to it or ask for it in writing that he acknowledges you told him you were fatigued.

As for the package car driver suggestion - a package car driver only spends 3-4 hours a day driving unless they are in a super-rural area.

my red faced friend know that i agree with you on alot of inner workings,, however to even post such nonsense belittles you

Unfortunately hoaxster is probably correct, particularly with the on-board recording device, (telematics). Time spent doing pickups etc, isn't really "driving". Also most package car drivers are non CDL, you may be subject to DOT regulations but you don't need a CDL under 26,000 lbs GVW

Feeder drivers seem to be the ones most affected by this, with the 34 hour reset having to include 2 periods between 12 midnite and 6 am, drivers with start times before 6 am could not work a 6th day. Package car drivers could even be worse off since "resting" in a parked commercial motor vehicle, (lunch) would not be considered on duty time under the proposed changes, where as it is considered on duty time now.

The only proposal that may be a plus is that a driver cannot drive more than 7 hours consecutively without having a 30 minute off duty period, forcing at least a 1/2 hour lunch on some drivers.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

my red faced friend know that i agree with you on alot of inner workings,, however to even post such nonsense belittles you

Hoax is right, although his numbers may be a bit low. I deliver in the city and probably spend 4-5 hours out of each day actually behind the wheel.

 

[hypocrisy]

Try telling the 8 hour dispatcher that you feel you are "too tired to continue to work safely" and then see if he insists on sending you back out. I've been in the same situation. If they continue to insist, get a witness to it or ask for it in writing that he acknowledges you told him you were fatigued.





Unfortunately hoaxster is probably correct, particularly with the on-board recording device, (telematics). Time spent doing pickups etc, isn't really "driving". Also most package car drivers are non CDL, you may be subject to DOT regulations but you don't need a CDL under 26,000 lbs GVW
The overall issue the DOT is trying to address is fatigued driving. It's time for them to also take a fresh look at non-OTR package type drivers. The CDL (or not) doesn't really have anything to do with it.

Feeder drivers seem to be the ones most affected by this, with the 34 hour reset having to include 2 periods between 12 midnite and 6 am, drivers with start times before 6 am could not work a 6th day. Package car drivers could even be worse off since "resting" in a parked commercial motor vehicle, (lunch) would not be considered on duty time under the proposed changes, where as it is considered on duty time now.
The reset period is still not required, you just continue to operate under a 7 or 8 day sliding scale. The 14 hour window does not change except the addition of an up to 2 hour extension of the "driving window" twice per 7 day period. This was in response to truck drivers complaining that they would have to wait at a shippers location to be unloaded and/or loaded, but were not able to leave and go "off duty". The intent has nothing to do with small package delivery operations such as ours. This probably won't affect any UPS Feeder operations as it's relatively rare you have several hours of downtime at a customer's location.
The only proposal that may be a plus is that a driver cannot drive more than 7 hours consecutively without having a 30 minute off duty period, forcing at least a 1/2 hour lunch on some drivers.
Personally, I dislike the inflexibility of this option as we are allowed the flexibility in my department to take our lunch most anytime that is mutually convenient during our shift, as long as we take it. Oftentimes I'll put it off till the 9th hour or later in order to make a preload's start time or air pull commit.

 

[hypocrisy]

Hoax is right, although his numbers may be a bit low. I deliver in the city and probably spend 4-5 hours out of each day actually behind the wheel.

Old data, Old Administration. It's never too late to take a fresh look at things.