Letter to the Editor: Hours of Service

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think that we were overdue for a change in the hours rules, but I don’t think they made the change on facts. Instead, I think it was done just to make the anti-truck groups happy.

I am an owner-operator with three trucks. We mostly transport manufactured homes.

I am OK with most of the changes and I think they may even be good, but the consecutive hours instead of cumulative is where they went wrong.

This is going to make us run harder during the 14 hours we have to work. With the old way, if you get tired and need a break, you can stop and take a break or a nap without losing driving time.

Now we won’t be able to take a break without eating up valuable driving time. I move oversize loads, so I can only travel during daylight hours.

Now if I get tired, I will have to push on, not being able to take a break.

can’t take a 10-hour break and then leave again. I have to wait for daylight.

So if I take a nap for two hours, I may lose more than the two hours of driving time. I just don’t see where making it harder for drivers to take a break is good for safety.

Doug Beutler

I>Owner-Operator

eutler Enterprises

urricane, Utah

This letter appeared in the Jan. 5 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

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