Truck

Your hours of service are crucial to remember as a truck driver. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) established regulations determining how much time a driver can spend behind the wheel.

Driving a commercial vehicle for too many consecutive hours can lead to accidents, driver fatigue, and more. The Hours of Service (HOS) rules are straightforward when it comes to off-duty time, so they’re crucial for any commercial driver.

Keep reading to learn more about HOS rules and how to ensure you’re always following them.

Understanding Hours of Service (HOS) Regulations

Simply put, the “Hours of Service” regulation establishes how many hours a driver can be on duty and specifies their rest periods to ensure they’re always alert.

The Department of Transportation often requires truck drivers to use Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) to track their duty status and driving hours. This makes everything much easier for trucking companies.

Generally speaking, any commercial motor vehicle that meets one (or more) of the following conditions must follow Hours of Service rules:

• A weight of 10,000 pounds or more
• A design meant to transport 16 or more people (counting the driver)
• A purpose of transporting nine or more people for pay (counting the driver)
• The need to transport a considerable quantity of hazardous materials that require a placard

Here’s an overview of how a person must manage their driving hours and implement rest breaks whenever necessary:

Property-Carrying Drivers

11-Hour Limit

You can drive a maximum of 11 hours after being 10 consecutive hours off duty.

14-Hour Limit

Drivers can’t operate beyond 14 consecutive hours after coming on duty.

30-Minute Driving Break

Any driver must take a 30-minute break after driving for eight consecutive hours without a 30-minute interruption at a minimum.

60/70-Hour Limit

You can’t drive after 60/70 hours in seven/eight consecutive days. You must take 34 (or more) hours off to get back on duty.

Sleeper Berth Provisions

Drivers can split their 10-hour off-duty period if one is at least two hours long and the other involves a minimum of seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.

The pairings must add up to 10 hours at a minimum.

Adverse Driving Conditions Exception

You can extend your 11-hour and 14-hour limits by up to two hours if adverse driving conditions are expected.

Passenger-Carrying Drivers

10-Hour Limit

You may only drive a maximum of 10 hours after eight consecutive hours off duty.

15-Hour Limit

You can’t operate the vehicle if you’ve been on duty for 15 hours after your eight consecutive hours off.

60/70-Hour Limit

You can’t drive after being 60/70 hours on duty in seven/eight consecutive days.

Sleeper Berth Provisions

If you take a sleeper berth, you must take at least eight hours. You may also split your time into two periods if neither period is less than two hours.

These periods must add up to eight hours.

Adverse Driving Conditions Exception

Drivers in this category can extend their maximum driving time by up to two hours if they encounter adverse driving conditions.

Both types of drivers can use a “Short-Haul Exception” if they operate within a 150-air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location and as long as they don’t exceed their 14-hour maximum duty period. The exception exempts drivers from the regulations of §395.8 and §395.11.

How Complying with HOS Rules Promotes Safety

Tracking your HOS is essential if you want everyone to stay safe. There are many tips you can follow to stay compliant, including:

• Log your driving status in your ELD.
• Plan your trips accordingly.
• Track your on-duty/off-duty time.
• Combine stops.
• Consider unexpected issues that may prevent you from arriving early to your destination.
• Determine when you can log your wait times as “off-duty.”

You can also use tracking and inspection software like Record360. It allows you to keep a record of everything surrounding your fleet and drivers, ensuring there aren’t any mistakes with their HOS.

Must Read: Truck Inspection Checklists and Apps for Compliance and Efficiency

Bottom Line – Take Care of Your Truck Drivers and Commercial Motor Vehicles

Understanding on-duty and off-duty statuses is crucial to ensuring the safety of the driver and everyone around them. These rules are designed to make the road safer and are also an important part of any heavy-duty equipment business.

When you ensure compliance, you can organize your driving time accordingly and prevent potential issues. Software like Record360 allows you to keep a record of everyone on your driving team, the state of your equipment, and more.

Work toward promoting a safer environment for your drivers (and yourself), and discover how to get your productivity rates much higher than before with these measures.

Contact Record360 today.

A motor carrier is responsible for operating CMVs that transport hazardous materials, property, or passengers and is also involved in transportation commerce projects.

The trucking industry is generally regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). Thanks to its regulations, it can promote a safer driving environment for everyone on the road.

If you’re a motor carrier, you must prioritize safety compliance to ensure you meet passenger, property, and hazardous materials regulations. This not only promotes a safer experience for the drivers but also protects the integrity of your trucking company as a whole.

Learn how to ensure compliance as a motor carrier through proper vehicle maintenance and inspections below!

About the Regulations Set by the FMCSA and the CVSA

You must consider two main resources if you want to maintain compliance: Regulations set by the FMCSA and the CVSA. The FMCSA compliance manual, for example, gives you enough resources to ensure the improvement of your fleet at any time.

On the other hand, we have the CVSA, which gave us the “Compliance, Safety, Accountability” (CSA) program.

Failing to comply with these regulations can lead to the suspension of your operating authority.

Some of the common motor carrier compliance safety issues include:

• Hours of Service (HOS)
• Driver Files
• Audits of Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIRs)
• Audits of Driver HOS
• Maintenance Records
• Compliance with Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs
• Compliance with Other FMCSA Regulations
• Training

Why Ensuring Compliance Is Crucial for Your Business

Whether you’re responsible for transporting passengers, goods, or hazardous materials across the country, you must ensure the safety of the entire operation.

Considering the long driving times and types of cargo you may have to transport, many things can go wrong. If you were to get a surprise inspection, and the law enforcement agent found any non-compliance problems, your business would be at risk.

However, that’s only one problem. When you don’t properly inspect your vehicles, you’re exposing yourself to potential accidents on the road.

The slightest problem with your truck can lead to a serious problem that can affect others. Not only is that fatal for your business, but it will also cause many financial losses.

You must address all your compliance needs as soon as possible. To make things easier, consider getting inspection software. It’ll promote the well-being of your drivers, your trucks, and everyone else on the road.

Must Read: Truck Inspection Checklists and Apps for Compliance and Efficiency

Bottom Line – Ensure Proper Safety When Operating Commercial Vehicles

Compliance can be a tough topic to cover, especially for commercial motor vehicles. Maintaining compliance requires accurate record-keeping, thorough inspections, and proactive measures.

Not only is compliance essential to meet legal requirements, but it’s also the best measure you can take to ensure all your vehicles are safe to drive and that you’re working with trained drivers.

Record360 can help you demonstrate compliance through its accurate reporting features. You can easily keep your vehicle maintenance records in a safe and easy-to-navigate platform, allowing you to keep track of pending issues, driver qualifications, and more.

Ensure DOT compliance with the right tools, and discover the peace of mind that comes with it. Contact Record360 today.

2023 was an interesting year for the transportation industry. Some of the common market trends we experienced included economic volatility, driver shortages, inflation, and much more.

These factors have caused many project managers to reassess their business plans to improve efficiency. Some committed to waste reduction by adopting lean manufacturing principles, whereas others started using software to efficiently utilize resources.

Even though 2024 seems to be as unpredictable as last year, there’s no need to give up. There are key strategies you can start implementing to ensure customer satisfaction, cost savings, and continuous business improvement. We’ll examine a few of them in this post.

Let’s get started!

The Unpredictability of the Transportation Industry

It’s hard to tell how different 2024 will be from 2023, but we can use the information we already have to predict what will happen this year.

Most companies will start focusing on implementing sustainable practices and advanced technologies to make their businesses more efficient. Preparing for potential hazards or problems ensures we can keep offering excellent service despite what happens within the industry.

Here’s an overview of some of the trends we can expect for the transportation industry in 2024:

• Driver recruitment challenges
• Solutions for supply chain disruptions
• Implementation of inspection software to address financial constraints and regulatory requirements

How Advanced Inspection Software Can Help with Operational Efficiency

Compliance and efficiency are among the most crucial aspects of the transportation industry this year. Advanced technology and artificial intelligence have given us plenty of resources to address most concerns.

Software like Record360 isn’t just a tool to keep track of your fleet. It also helps you get a deep understanding of what’s happening with your business while ensuring compliance.

A common goal among these businesses is to save money without sacrificing efficiency. Thanks to this technology, you can organize your fleet without much issue, which will also help you with other areas, such as managing data analytics, handling transportation bids, and balancing demand, supply, and operating expenses.

Getting practical insights from Record360 is a huge step toward efficiency, but you must also consider working with stable and reputable carriers. If you do, you’ll have the upper hand when any potential issues arise.

Must Read: Record360: US Truck & Trailer Reach

Bottom Line – Why You Should Rely on Reputable Carriers and Software for Your Business Operations

In 2024, you must collaborate with the right professionals so that you get tailored solutions to your potential issues. Implementing cutting-edge inspection software, for example, will help you with many important business areas, including risk mitigation and supply chain efficiency.

Using Record360 will give you an advantage over the competition. With its advanced technology, you can make informed decisions about your equipment, fix any potential problems that may arise, and thrive in this unpredictable year.

To learn more, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us,  contact Record260 today!