8 Hours In Sleeper Berth Rule

If I understand, from this website, that after you have started being on-duty, you can extend your on-duty time by being in the sleeper berth for a consecutive 8 hours. Here's my question. If, during that 8 hours, you need to use the restroom, does getting out of the truck to go in a rest stop to use the restroom, and then returning to the sleeper for the remaining of the eight hours legally defeat the consecutive 8 hours for the "8 hour sleeper berth" rule? Thanks.

Not at all...you can do most anything EXCEPT anything to do with WORKING or being On duty...of course, you are supposed to be resting, that's what the rule is for, but you won't screw up your clock by going to the restroom..

I guess i should have prefaced my remarks by saying that being on the "sleeper berth" line doesn't literally mean you have to be IN the sleeper berth..

Mark, Roadkill is correct. It's all a little confusing until you get out there and start learning the way this all works in a real life situation. But to give you an example, tonight when I parked at the truck stop I did my post-trip inspection and then put my electronic logs onto the sleeper berth line because I need to get ten hours break in before I leave out early in the morning. Now that doesn't mean that I'm like a grounded child who can't leave his bedroom, in fact I spent an hour at a restaurant then took a nice walk before I retired to my truck. In the morning I'll get up before my ten hours is up and take another walk before I start driving.

If I stayed in the bed for that whole ten hours I'd be worthless the next day - too much sleep makes me feel tired. The main thing is that I'm not doing any actual work for the company during that time period. Even in that there is room for a little fudge factor - I sometimes will do a little paperwork or trip planning during my sleeper berth time, but there is simply no way for my electronic logs to know what I'm doing unless I put the data in there.

I guess i should have prefaced my remarks by saying that being on the "sleeper berth" line doesn't literally mean you have to be IN the sleeper berth..

Not trying to argue, I need some more clarification please. In the High Road Training Course, it says:

"You may also use the sleeper berth to extend the 14 hour limit. Any period in the sleeper berth of at least 8 consecutive hours will not count as part of the 14 hours, and therefore, would allow you to extend the time during which you could use your maximum 11 hours of driving."

Can someone provide me with some documentation showing that when the above sentence says "in the sleeper berth", the line doesn't laterally mean you have to be IN the sleeper berth. Thanks.

I guess i should have prefaced my remarks by saying that being on the "sleeper berth" line doesn't literally mean you have to be IN the sleeper berth..

Not trying to argue, I need some more clarification please. In the High Road Training Course, it says:

"You may also use the sleeper berth to extend the 14 hour limit. Any period in the sleeper berth of at least 8 consecutive hours will not count as part of the 14 hours, and therefore, would allow you to extend the time during which you could use your maximum 11 hours of driving."

Can someone provide me with some documentation showing that when the above sentence says "in the sleeper berth", the line doesn't laterally mean you have to be IN the sleeper berth. Thanks.

I think what's his trying to say is that you can log yourself on Sleeper Berth and then go take a shower or do whatever. There's no camera on you to make sure you're in the bed because you're on the sleeper berth line. There is no documentation. It's just one of those things that truckers do, kinda like figuring out a way to get "ahead". Kinda like learning some tricks of the trade.

There's so many things I could say right now that you can do that's not by the books but you won't get in trouble for it as long as you don't get caught. But since you're not even solo yet it would be pointless to tell you because it will just confuse you and give you an impression that you can go around the rules. But yes, according to the book you must be in the sleeper berth if you're on that line. But again, no ones going to slap your wrist for watching TV at the truckers lounge while being on sleeper berth.

You gotta do what you gotta do. If you need to deliver while on your 10 hour break and you're parked at the delivery facility then deliver while on your break. You'll be in sleeper berth during the entire delivery but you'll be walking around to the office, backing up, and doing paperwork - while you're on sleeper berth. It's just one of those things that you learn along the way. But for you right now, only thing you should know and remember is sleeper berth means be in the bed.