June Newsletter Glostone News
posted in Newsletter by Brian Gray
June Newsletter – Glostone News
The Sweet Spot In The New HOS 34 Hour Restart Rule
Most commercial truck drivers are fully aware of the rules that govern how many hours they can drive during a day and within a week. Most are aware that the current rules allow a driver to take 34 hours off duty or in the sleeper berth to reset his weekly driving time allowance back to zero. This current rule also allows the driver to accomplish the 34 hour restart in any 34 hour time frame and allows as many 34 hour restarts during a 7 day period as the driver wishes. What drivers may not realize is that this rule changes beginning July 1, 2013. The new rule allows for a minimum 34 hour restart but the time frame of taking the 34 hours off duty MUST contain 2 periods off between the hours of 1am and 5am. In addition, the driver can only use the 34 restart once during any 7 day period. The rule changes creates an ideal time frame or “sweet spot” of when a driver must begin his 34 hour off duty reset and be able to resume driving at the 35th hour. The sweet spot is between 7pm and 1am. A driver starting his 34 off duty period during this time frame will meet the requirement of the off duty time containing two time periods between 1am and 5am and be able to resume driving at the 35th hour. Here’s an example of starting the 34 hours off duty within the sweet spot: A driver begins a 34 restart on Tuesday at 7 pm. Thursday at 5am completes the 34 hours off duty AND accomplishes the requirement of having 2 periods off within the 34 hours between 1am and 5am. Here is an example when not starting the reset within the sweet spot: A driver begins a 34 hour restart on Wednesday at 2am. The 34 hours off duty is completed on Friday at 12pm. However, the 34 hours off does not include 2 periods where the driver was off duty for 1am to 5 am. The driver would have to wait until Saturday at 5am, after completing the second period of 1am to 5am, to start back on duty or driving. In this example, the driver had to be off duty 51 total hours in order to reset his driving hours back to zero. Drivers should be aware that driver logs should always be calculated using the time zone of where they are based. The 34 hour reset sweet spot should also be in the driver’s home base time zone. Using the sweet spot to take advantage of the 34 hour restart will not only keep drivers compliant with the rules but allow the driver to maximize his productivity within the rules.
NATSA TO HOST DOT COMPLIANCE WORKSHOP
Glostone Trucking Solutions is a proud member of the North American Transportation Services Association (NATSA). NATSA will be hosting a two day DOT compliance workshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on September 18th and 19th, 2013. This unique workshop will not only focus on the essentials of an effective DOT safety program under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations but will also cover properly licensing trucks under the International Registration Plan, fuel/mileage tax reporting under the International Fuel Tax Agreement, audit preparation using paper or GPS data along with record keeping requirements. The workshop is ideal for Fleet Managers, HR Professionals, Admin Staff, and Owner Operators. To learn more and for registration information, visit the NATSA website at www.natsa.info.
International Registration Plan Audit Changes Effective July 1, 2013
The International Registration Plan is a registration reciprocity agreement among states of the United States, the District of Columbia and provinces of Canada providing for payment of license fees on the basis of fleet distance operated in various jurisdictions. The IRP provides a sound platform to facilitate truck registration that is fair to the motor transportation industry and provides each member jurisdiction a fair share of revenue from vehicle registration fees. In 2012, IRP members passed ballot 371 which made fundamental changes to the audit process that States and Provinces use to insure carriers are in compliance with the plan. The changes become effective July 1, 2013. A summary of 8 significant changes impacting carriers are:
- 1st engagement: 20% fee assessment
- 2nd engagement: 50% fee assessment
- 3rd engagement: 100% fee assessment
For more information about these changes, visit the IRP website at www.irponline.org and search for Ballot 371.
