Duty Status During Interstate Closure

I want to add a little something to this discussion. This is for Emily's sake, but I think it is advice that others will benefit from hearing.

This is a situation in which having, and using, a C.B. radio might have helped the driver avoid such a lengthy delay. I don't know the particulars of the location so I can't address them, but oftentimes if you can hear of an accident before you get caught in the traffic jam, you can go ahead and pull off and take your ten hour break. That way you are taking your ten hour break during the traffic jam instead of in addition to it. Any time you can get to a truck stop and sit out an accident like this is way better than sitting in traffic for eight hours and then being forced by the rules into taking another break for ten hours.

It also may give you a chance to take an exit and re-route yourself. I have found in many places there will be an alternate route that runs almost parallel with the interstate. It may be a state highway with some stop lights occasionally, but it is still better than being stuck for eight hours. The use of the C.B. radio has waned in our days, but it is still a very useful tool at times.

I was always told you could log as sleeper time, if you were actually in the sleeper. I have only had it happen twice and they were only for an hour or 2 but I would put myself in the sleeper and go make some food n eat. The thing that throws guys is they do log it as off duty and in that situation you really aren't off duty. In the regs it does say that just because you are logging sleeper berth you don't have to actually be sleeping.

Jakebrake, being on the sleeper berth indicates that you are "off duty" also. It doesn't just mean that you moved from the front of the truck to the back of the truck but are still "on duty." That is a misunderstanding of the rules.