Hours of Service

            As of January 4, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s updated hours-of-service rules for truck drivers are in effect, although enforcement will be in the form of “warnings,” rather than citations, for the first two months.  The government feels that the new regulations will safeguard the roads.  The final regulations are much, much better than the first proposals.

            I have been getting calls about this at the Association office because of changes in state law and regulations, but know these are hours of service regulations are federal and have been in force for many years.  For those under the agricultural exemption, those transporting logs from the forest to the mill (this does not include finished product transportation), you must keep time sheets in your vehicles.  All others must retain a DOT log of service. 

Key provisions: 

Hours On-Duty Each Day

            No trucks may drive after having been on-duty for 14 consecutive hours, previously 15 hours.  The driver is required to be off-duty 10 consecutive hours, previously 8 hours, before reporting for duty the next day.

 Hours Driving Each Day

            A trucker may drive up to 11 hours, previous 10 hours, in any 14 consecutive hour on-duty period.

 Hours at Work Each Week

            Truckers may not drive after being on-duty for 60 hours in a seven-consecutive-day period or 70 hours in an eight-consecutive-day period.

 Restart Provision

            Any off-duty period that totals 34 consecutive hours or more will restart a driver’s 7 or 8 day week.  The restart provision is voluntary, but may be useful for log, pulpwood, and chip haulers forced to stop work during periods of inclement weather or market shutdowns.

 16 Hour Exception

            Short-haul truck drivers, those who routinely return home after each on-duty period, may have an increased on-duty period of 16 hours once during any seven-consecutive-day period.  The 11 hour driving limit still applies in this exception.

Agricultural Commodity Exception

            All 14 existing exemptions were retained in the new HOS rule.  States are allowed to exempt drivers transporting agricultural commodities from the HOS requirements if such transportation is within a 100 mile radius of the source of the commodities and it is during the panting or harvesting seasons.

Record Keeping Requirements

             Rules for the “driver’s daily log” remain unchanged for truckers.  Those drivers operating within a 100 mile radius (crows fly) of the driver’s normal work locations, who return to that location are released from duty within 12 hours, will keep time cards as allowed under the previous rules.

            The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will ask states to write warnings instead of citations for all but the most flagrant violations during the first 60 days of enforcement (March 1, 2004).  State officials are also being encouraged to use every stop in the first 60 days as an opportunity to educate truckers about the new rules.