Letter to the Editor: Hours of Service

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am writing in response to the Jan. 24 opinion column, “The Real Way to Deal with HOS.”

The author seems to have it all wrong, despite his 40 some years in the trucking industry. The rules are not good for anybody — the public included.

I have been driving for 35 years and have also dispatched. In my opinion, the biggest thing wrong with the new HOS rules is that they allow companies to force drivers to drive without proper rest, simply by using the 34-hour restart section of the rules.

More important is the fact that a driver cannot stop the 14-hour clock for daily work. Under the old rule, if a driver was in his bunk while his truck was being loaded or unloaded, he could log that time as off-duty.

The new rules state that once a driver arrives at his terminal and clocks in, his 14-hour day starts and nothing can stop the clock.

There is no real reason why a driver should have what is commonly called “downtime” counted against him.

I am currently on a dedicated run that is supposed to leave the terminal at midnight six days a week. But my unit may not be ready for three or four hours on any given night. Those hours are counted against my 14-hour day, even though I’m just hanging out in the terminal waiting for my unit.

Under the old rules, I could have started my day when I actually started working.

The author’s other point is that shippers want honesty. This is very true, but what shippers really do insist on is service, and if a carrier doesn’t provide the service a customer wants, it will go to one that does. My current employer’s customers insist on three things: Pick itup on time, don’t break it and deliver it on time.

I think the HOS rules will work themselves out, but don’t let anyone tell you they were anything but politically motivated.

John Fitzgerald

I>LTL Linehaul Driver

rving, Texas

i>This letter appeared in the Feb. 14 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.