Is This 14 Hour Rule Dangerous?

Howdy all,

I know I'm sensationalizing the topic, but I've been thinking about this lately. I do not have a solution to the issue, I've only been solo for a month and a half. But I find that the 14 hour clock ticking away in the background makes me feel rushed, it also affects my end of the day parking time and decisions and sometime I end up cutting it close pulling into a truck stop to park at the end of my day. For me it makes planning my day difficult because if I get delayed I have to plan accordingly where Im gonna stop and still make my delivery window. This is hard to do flying down an interstate already feeling like you can't stop or you're going to be late. I feel like this could be a safety issue asking drivers to push hard to get 11 hours of driving done in such a short window, I find that I don't make the best decisions in a hurry, and I feel like other drivers may feel this way too. So I'm curious as to what other drivers think of this rule and how they deal with it and plan accordingly.

Thanks, Dan

I don't think the rule is dangerous, although I don't agree with it. Whether it's the 14 hour rule, or unforeseen weather, an accident causing a traffic jam, things will happen that act as stressors to an already stressful job. None of these have to be dangerous in how they affect your ability to do your job, specifically in how you react to the stressors.

Granted, I've battled with that clock on many occasion. I've had to get picked up a few times since I couldn't make it back to the terminal - I'm a linehaul driver. As far as being forced to do a lot of driving within 11 hours, your driving stamina will increase. I remember when I used to be amazed that some of our drivers do 640 mile runs every night - 5 times a week. Now, I can do the same. You get used to the miles.

The 14 hour rule is what it is. As a driver, we have to work with it, but I don't think it's dangerous in and of itself. That comes down to the driver and how a person reacts, thinks, plans, and handles stress. Don't ever let anything force you into a frenzy or hurry, an accident or mishap would be right around the corner.

I never considered whether or not it was dangerous. It's a law and we have to deal with it. Sure, it adds stress but not much compared to the myriad other things. Careful trip planning and patience help. We get used to it.

Dan I feel exactly the same way as you do. I can remember the very first time I read about that rule. I said, "You have got to be kidding me!" I knew immediately it was a terrible idea. Like you said, it takes away all of your flexibility and forces you to run, run, run before your clock runs out.

Now I was lucky because most of my career there was no 14 hour rule and throughout my entire career I was on paper logs. So I could pretty much drive any way I saw fit and write down whatever I needed to. So I was able to keep that flexibility. But I know how much it would have hurt my efforts to avoid heavy traffic and weather delays, kept me from taking naps when I needed to, and forced me to keep driving even when it made no sense.

I would love to see them eliminate the 14 hour rule altogether. I don't mind the 11 or 70 hour rules, but that 14 hour clock should be eliminated. I think it's quite enough to limit the number of hours someone can drive in a day and then require them to rest for 10 hours afterward. But how do they figure it's safer to force everyone to work these marathon 14 hour sessions day in and day out? That's not how the mind or body works best. You don't just go, go, go until you're so wiped out you can't remember your own name. By breaking up your work day into smaller chunks, including a nap or two along the way, and stopping when it makes sense to stop for any reason is the safer approach in my opinion.

In fact, I always ran hard and shot for 3,200 miles per week. But I rarely drove more than two or three hours at a stretch. I'd drive a couple hours, stop for a quick break, drive a couple more, get some lunch, etc. Just getting out of the truck and walking around for five minutes makes a huge difference in how you feel. I think the 14 hour clock takes away all of that flexibility and forces you to work continuously like a robot instead of allowing yourself to work when your mind and body are ready for it and the traffic and weather conditions are favorable.