A truck driver who plans to drive a truck for commercial purposes such as moving products, food, money, or any other valuables is required to follow the federal hours of service regulations. This includes the maximum amount of hours a driver will be allowed to work and the minimum amount of time a driver has to rest before returning to the roads again. As a truck driver carrying heavy loads, you have a lot of responsibility while driving on public roads.
It is essential that you manage your safety as well as possible. This is why the Hours-of-Service regulations were made in the first place. To help you stay awake and aware while driving. If a truck driver is on the road for long periods of time, they are bound to get sleep deprived and start suffering from being fatigued. If this happens on the roads, you’re not only harming yourself but also other citizens.
How many hours is a truck driver allowed to drive?
A truck driver can not be on the roads for longer than 11 hours at a time before they need to take a 10-hour break. Now, you have to realize that there are a lot of things you need to consider on the job as well. For example, many things impact the driving hours, most of which have to do with log duty statuses.
How do truck driver log duty statuses impact driving hours?
Every trucker is required by law to keep a logbook. Most of the time, this is done with electronic logs. The log will help everyone track the number of hours truckers are driving, and the hours they are not. By doing this, truckers can know when to take breaks and when they had their last stop. They are also required to keep a paper logbook in their truck for backup to ensure there are no complications.
What are the Hours-Of-Service Limitations?
14-hour Driving Limit
The 14-hour driving limit is based on a day by day basis. During this time, you can drive for 11 hours after you’ve taken a break for 10 hours or more. The 14-hour driving limit starts as soon as you begin working, whether that’s driving or not. Once you’ve completed your 14 hours, you are required to take another 10-hour break before you enter back on the roads again. You must also realize that when you take a nap, get a meal, or take the time of duty during driving time, you must still stay in the 14-hour limit.
11-hour Driving Limit
While you are in your 14 hour driving period, you are only allowed to be driving your truck for up to 11 hours at a time total. While you are driving, you are also required to take a 30-minute break after at least 8 hours of driving, and you can continue the rest of your trip until you reach the 11-hour mark. Then you must not drive again until you’ve taken a 10-hour break.
60 hour/7 day or 70 hour/8 day limit
You must also uphold the 60 hour/7day or 70 hour/ 8day limit besides the previous limits. This limit is based on a rolling 7 or 8 day period. Meaning you must not drive over the 60-hour limit after seven days or the 70-hour limit after eight days. Once you reach your limit, you can not drive again until you are below 70 hours for the eight-day in a row period. You can use time to do other work, but you cannot use it to drive. However, any extra hours you work must be added to the total time.
At CTC Trucking we care about our drivers and we want all truck drivers to live the healthiest lives possible. If you are interested in becoming a truck driver for a small trucking company CTC Trucking is the place to go. If you have any questions please contact us.
