What Status Should We Use In Stopped Traffic?

Hey I got questions tonight. Last week on I-20 Texas got stopped in traffic for over an hour. Dead stopped what status should we be using?

Technically, on duty.

If it is dead stopped, I turn off the truck and go in the sleeper berth , and log it as sleeper. Keep the curtains open so you can see when it starts moving again.

If you want to be a legal eagle, log on duty and if you run out of hours you are okay to drive to the nearest location to shut down for your break, just be sure to notate on your logs why.

Same thing if you are broke down on the side of the road.

"On duty time means all time from the time a driver begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work. On duty time shall include: (1) All time at a plant, terminal , facility, or other property of a motor carrier or shipper , or on any public property, waiting to be dispatched, unless the driver has been relieved from duty by the motor carrier; (2) All time inspecting, servicing, or conditioning any commercial motor vehicle at any time; (3) All driving time as defined in the term driving time; (4) All time, other than driving time, in or upon any commercial motor vehicle except time spent resting in a sleeper berth; (5) All time loading or unloading a commercial motor vehicle, supervising, or assisting in the loading or unloading, attending a commercial motor vehicle being loaded or unloaded, remaining in readiness to operate the commercial motor vehicle, or in giving or receiving receipts for shipments loaded or unloaded; (6) All time repairing, obtaining assistance, or remaining in attendance upon a disabled commercial motor vehicle; (7) All time spent providing a breath sample or urine specimen, including travel time to and from the collection site, in order to comply with the random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, or follow-up testing required by part 382 of this subchapter when directed by a motor carrier; (8) Performing any other work in the capacity, employ, or service of a motor carrier; and (9) Performing any compensated work for a person who is not a motor carrier.'

Matt is correct: if you are with the truck and supposed to be waiting on loading/ unloading, you need to be in On Duty Not Driving.

But as Matt hints, drivers spend a lot of time in Sleeper (not on the Off Duty line!). I have a friend who will go to sleeper any time he has to wait for something, like live loading, stuck in traffic without moving, even waiting for tire changes or other repairs. He'd rather mark the time as Sleeper than eat up all his duty time and mess up his whole 70 hour cycle.

So if you get to your stop and they say we cant get you in for at least 3 hrs you can go into the sleeper until they are ready to save the hrs?

Also, if this was to happen say 3 times in a day, but one sleeper was 4 hrs, others were 3 each, would the 3 separate sleeper breaks count as your mandatory 10 hr for the day resetting your 14hrs?

So if you get to your stop and they say we cant get you in for at least 3 hrs you can go into the sleeper until they are ready to save the hrs?

I feel that if you must wait to get to a dock, that is your time, so switch to sleeper. I made up this rule for myself: if you can leave your truck and go to a movie (in other words you have no responsibility to wait for further instructions from anyone), that's Sleeper Time.

Also, if this was to happen say 3 times in a day, but one sleeper was 4 hrs, others were 3 each, would the 3 separate sleeper breaks count as your mandatory 10 hr for the day resetting your 14hrs?

Remember, the time for your breaks, outside of the "split sleeper rule"* must not be broken up. In the Hours Of Service, you can take as many breaks as you want, as long as you get one at least 30 straight minutes break before 8 hours of driving are done, and 10 (or split 8+2*) to reset your 14 hours day.

*This is a different rabbit hole, and the FMCSA may modify this soon.

Thanks Errol. I have only read through the HOS section on the High Road once so far and some of it didnt click for me 1st time.

Am I thinking this right? going into sleeper is limited to 2 times per 14(8-2 minimum or longer periods if you choose) only buying you minimal extra time per day but over the coarse of a week if used properly you could open up a full day or 2 by not hitting the 70 of on duty time Resulting in more miles?

Also, is there HOS classes during training? I think I would better understand it if it were taught rather then me just reading it.

I think My logical mindset and lifetime of working by the hour is getting in my way on this system.

Am I thinking this right? going into sleeper is limited to 2 times per 14(8-2 minimum or longer periods if you choose)

You can go into the sleeper as often as you like. I typically go into the sleeper four or five times during my working shift. Yesterday I went in the sleeper at three different stops while waiting on the customer to get to me, and I stopped another time for a 45 minute nap. I'm old. I like naps!

Dave, you're gonna figure out the HOS rules while you're working with them. You'll have to if you want to make some money at this. Knowing how to manage your clock is critical to success at this. Go through that High Road section repeatedly. Take the quizzes. I must have done it four or five times before the light bulb went off. All of a sudden one day I realized, "This is going to help me tremendously when I get on the road." I had the distinct pleasure of teaching my trainer how to use the split sleeper rule for his advantage. He had over a decade of experience and didn't even understand how to do an 8/2 split.

The HOS rules are funny: reading them on paper (or a screen), they might seem to be a crazy mish-mash. But once you start living them on a truck, your understanding comes out.

To answer your question about minimums and maximums, think of the two kinds of time: yours (breaks) and the company's (driving and duty time). You have minimums of "your" time each day - take all you want/need as often as you want. But the company time has maximums - no more than 8 hours driving without a break, you must end your day after 14 hours before you can drive again*.

Oh, yes! You'll have classes in HOS, or Log class. They say something like this:

You can drive a maximum of eight hours per day. But if you take a minimum 30 minute break you can drive a maximum of 11 hours, then you must take 10 hours Off Duty or Sleeper.

I read this explanation and thought, "Huh? 8 or 11 hours? I don't get it." But when you work with that system every day it gets easier. Then when someone says "I took a 10 in Texarkana and my 30 in Joplin, then got to Kansas City with plenty of time to deliver my trailer," you'll know what they're talking about.

*You could be On Duty Not Driving for more time, but you can't drive again without 10 hours off.

Also, if this was to happen say 3 times in a day, but one sleeper was 4 hrs, others were 3 each, would the 3 separate sleeper breaks count as your mandatory 10 hr for the day resetting your 14hrs?

Man...I wish that's how it worked! As others stated though, the only way you can split the ten is with an 8 and a 2 (or a 2 and an 8).

A couple months back I had a level 1 inspection at a Tennessee weigh station. The Trooper looked at my Qualcomm then asked me to send my history to him. While sending my logs I was asked about what I do and my status when I'm at a shipper or reciever for extended times waiting for loading/unloading. Looking back I feel it was a trick question to see if I was complying to regs or not. I told him it depends on what I'm doing. If I'm in the front seat or the building im in on duty status but if I have no responsibilities except to wait I usually go to sleeper/restbreak status, go into the sleeper area and watch tv, make something to eat or nap until they finish. Must have been the right answer.