Trump administration ease rules limiting truck driver hours

[left-of-center2012]

The Trump administration eased rules Thursday that limit working hours for truck drivers, and the changes brought immediate protests from labor and safety groups.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration extended the maximum working day for short-haul drivers from 12 hours to 14 hours and expanded how far they can drive in a day. The agency said this will let truckers make more deliveries.

For long-haul drivers, the regulator will let work other than driving — such as loading or unloading, filling out paperwork, or communicating with an employer or customer — count toward a mandatory 30-minute break after eight hours of driving. Currently drivers must go off-duty during breaks.

The agency said the new rules will save trucking companies more than $2.8 billion over 10 years. Labor leaders and safety advocates argued that a longer working day will lead to more fatigued drivers and more crashes ...

https://apnews.com/43035b90c904872e1bb452726a912c7a

[Fullduplexxx]

1. Oh good more groggy hopped up on amphetamines truck drivers

On the road

[mwooldri]

2. Not with my employers.

I had a fun 2 extra weeks of "medical leave" because the company DOT doctor didn't like a medicine my doctor prescribed me.

Though that half hour "off duty" break, I can swear to you, that according to Donald Trump, I always take that break "off duty". (I typically will fudge it while I'm unloading (can take up to 2-3 hours to unload my trailer full of sheet glass) as there's lots of time I'm standing around waiting on the consignee to unload but technically I'm supposed to be on duty).

Having a bit more flexibility with a 7/3 split sounds nice in principle. However if I am tired I will not drive and will tell my manager so. If I get the load there on time and intact, everyone's happy.