Comment on new USA truck driver rest period rule
Posted by Sandi Soendker from Landline Magazine (Owner
Operator Independent Driver Association), Grain Valley, Missouri
OOIDA (Owner Operator Independent Driver Association)
Life Member Bob Esler of Taylor,
Mich., wrote a letter this week to FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro, regarding
the 30-minute rest period rule that went into effect July 1, 2013, with the
agency’s new hours-of-service rules. It’s a great letter and we are feeling the
need to share it.
Dear Administrator
Ferro,
I noticed with
interest a comment that was attributed to you regarding the studies that were
done that said this was a good idea. You were quoted as saying something to the
effect of “we did the best lab studies available” before this rule was
implemented. In medicine before new drugs are allowed there are lab tests and
then it is tested on humans before final approval. Where was the human testing
on this rule? I have not seen or heard any reports of such.
 |
| A truck driven by Peter in 2001 in the US |
You might say I have
been doing my own research since 1968 on driver fatigue. That is when I entered
the industry as a driver. And I am still at it. My studies have concluded that
when I get tired I take a nap or shut down for the night. Sometimes when I get
up, I can go all day. Then there are days when I can only make it two hours. No
rule you folks make will ever change that.
This rule supposedly
was done in the guise of public safety. All you folks have succeeded in doing
is making drivers more aggressive on the road. Remember the old TV game show called
“Beat the Clock”? That is what trucking has become today, a game to “Beat the
Clock.”
Drivers will do all
they can to make up for lost time because that is their living. Lost time is
lost wages.
Here are some more
examples of potential problems.
·
Parking: Drivers will run to the limit before
trying to find a place to park for their 30-minute break. Off ramps, shoulders
of the road, and rest areas (if you can find one open) will be prime targets.
·
Oversize
loads: They need all the
daylight they can get. This is especially critical in the winter months when
daylight is short. Finding a safe place to park for their rest period could be
tough. Plus short daylight hours in the winter do not give the driver a full 11
driving hour day and you want him to take 30 minutes of that for a break.
·
Law
enforcement: This 30-minute rule
gives them another excuse for probable cause to stop a driver to check for
compliance. Plus write citations where drivers park on the shoulders and ramps.
·
Just-in-time
delivery: This is
especially crucial in automotive industry. Car plants may have to adjust their
production schedules. Did you folks consider that cost in your “lab work?”
There is
something FMCSA has not figured out. The trucking industry has been trying to
tell you this for years and for some reason it falls on deaf ears. Driver
fatigue mainly comes from sitting around and doing nothing at docks waiting to
be loaded or unloaded.
Nothing (this includes
driving) fatigues a driver more than sitting around. A perfect example of this
is how you feel after sitting for a period of time in a doctor’s waiting room.
Ever notice the yawns and nodding heads? Drivers get the same way sitting and
waiting. Until this issue is addressed by FMCSA, this 30-minute rule is a waste
of time. This not only applies to the driver but the whole trucking industry as
well.
Remember I mentioned
the old game show “Beat the Clock”? The games have begun.
Meanwhile, back to my
fatigue studies.
Sincerely,
OOIDA Life Member
Robert Esler
Taylor, Mich.
More in Landline Magazine: http://landlinemedia.blogspot.co.nz/
Peter’s
Piece
I can understand
Robert Esler’s concern. This is a new rule replacing one that permitted drivers
to drive ten hours straight without getting out of the seat. Now they are
required to cut that in half. There is bound to be resistance.
But new rules always
meet resistance. That’s part of life. And that must surely be better than the
old rule which must have been part of death on countless occasions.
Most developed
countries have a similar rule for professional drivers. In New Zealand, where I’ve
done most of my 50 years of professional driving, the rule is a 30 minute break
after not more than five and a half hours of continuous driving. It has been
that way for as long as I can remember. And it works.
Robert, in other
industries people strive for rules that allow a break every two hours. Why do
truckers have to be different? Yes, let the customer wait. They had the option
to order the consignment dispatched earlier.
But don’t get bored
sitting idle for thirty minutes. Get some exercise and walk around the rig
checking the load, tires and air hoses. Take the opportunity to do a fluid
recycle – input and output – after five hours instead of ten. You may live
longer and enjoy better health as a result. You will certainly spend less time in the doctor's waiting room.
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