Another (Split) Sleeper Berth Question, Specifically Day 2.

I understand the split sleeper berth provision. I have explored it to ad nauseam. I would like to provide an example from the Fed's "Interstate Truck Driver's Guide to Hours of Service." I than have one or two questions about it.

Example: You come to work at 7:00 a.m. You begin driving at 10:00 a.m. and at 2:00 p.m. you spend 8 hours in your sleeper berth. At 10:00 p.m. you resume driving. Those 8 hours in the sleeper berth do not count as part of the 14 hours.

This means that you only used 7 of your 14 hours so far, and your 14-hour limit gets extended to 5:00 a.m. the next morning (original 9:00 p.m. limit plus 8 hrs.). Your driving limit is still 11 hours and so far you have only driven 4 hours. That means you have 7 hours of driving time still available, allowing you to drive from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m.

At 5:00 a.m. you take your second rest period, going off duty for 2 hours. That brings you to 7:00 a.m.

This example covers 24 hours. I have fulfilled the 11 hours of driving.

So.

I know that at this time, the 11 hour rule is reset. Is the 14 hour rule also reset at this time? Does that mean that on the second day, I could immediately drive non-stop for 8 hours, take the 30 minute break, and drive for another three? That would mean that from 10pm the previous night until 3pm on this second day, I have only had two hours rest. Sounds a little "wonky" to me.

Any clarification would be helpful. I hope that I was clear that my questions relate to the second day, not the first.

Lawrence

I understand the split sleeper berth provision. I have explored it to ad nauseam.

Okay Lawrence, I'm not sure you've got this figured out nearly as much as you may think you do. This is a tricky provision in the rules, and it's one of those things that ought to make folks realize that truckers are not a bunch of dumb hayseed slobs that can't make a living any other way.

After your second break (the two hour one) you have a new calculation point that you go by and that would be at the end of the eight hour break you took earlier (10:00 pm).

Your new calculation point is at the end of the first rest period, which was at 10:00 p.m. on the first day. Your new 14 hour period begins at 10:00 p.m. and ends 14 hours later, at noon the following day. During that new 14 hour period you are allowed 11 hours of driving.

From 10:00 p.m. on the first day to 7:00 a.m. on the second day, you used up 9 of the available 14 on duty hours. You also used up 7 of the available 11 driving hours. Therefore, you now have 5 hours of on duty time available during which you are allowed to drive up to 4 hours. That's not quite as "wonky" as you were thinking. But I will say that it's not unusual for me to work a sixteen hour day sometimes - If that sounds "wonky" to you this may not be the best field of employment for you.

Geez, as I'm trying to explain this, I'm not sure I'm clarifying it or just muddying the waters for you. I'm hoping that made sense.

If it doesn't make sense, just jump back in here and ask what you want.

Got it. Thanks. Very clear.

In essence with the split sleeper provision, you nudge your 14-hour to a new starting point. Normally, if one kept a strict 14 on, 10 off schedule, the 14-hour starting point will always start at the same time each day. However, with this provision, you have moved it x-hours driving and 8 hours sleeper berth. In the given example above, it moved from 7am to 10pm.

Very clear. Thank you.

Lawrence

That's right - I think you've got it. That eight hour break extends your fourteen hour clock without cutting into it, where as the two hour break counts against it.

Here's a real world example if it will help you or anyone else reading this later on. There is a place I go to get my flat-bed truck loaded at in Connecticut fairly regularly. It's almost always consistently a six hour wait to be finally ready to leave after you arrive there. That obviously can burn up your time. So, what I try to do is arrange my previous delivery so that I'm finishing up at the end of the day. Now when I start my clock in the morning let's say I only drive for about a half an hour then I arrive at the shipper. As soon as I've checked in and gotten my truck parked where they tell me, I'll put my clock on the sleeper berth for a break. (Let's just assume one hour of my fourteen has gone by at that point) It stays there until I'm loaded, which is six hours later. Now if I start driving to my destination I'm limited by my fourteen hour clock to seven hours. But, if I pull across the street and park in the lot of a large shopping center (which is what I do - with permission) for two more hours, I have thirteen hours in which I can still drive for a little more than ten hours.

You may say "wow man, you are gonna be tired after that". Well, maybe, but you can sleep during that six hour slot if you like. Also after taking an eight hour extension like that you don't have to then take that two hour break if it doesn't benefit you. Just go ahead and take a full ten hour rest and get your fourteen hour clock restored, and start out on a new day.

By the way Lawrence, I remember you from a while back. Are you thinking about trucking again, or are you just enjoying learning some of our crazy regulations?

Last July I went to a Swift Academy, Lewiston, ID, but for a couple of reasons, I had to leave....Not because of any negative reasons. Since I didn't have any up front funds, company training was the only option.

However, a couple of months ago, a person I somewhat knew forty years ago said he would completely pay my way to go to Walla Walla Community College (without having to pay him back), taking the CDL course. I can't pass up this opportunity.

So yes I'm studying again. Much easier the second time.

Lawrence

In 16 years I never had to use the split sleeper berth rule. I had something better and easier......Paper Logs.

When people start talking about the split sleeper berth rules all I hear is what passes for talking that Charlie Brown's teacher does in the cartoon. Wha wha wha wha wha wha wha.....

Of course back in the day we could also use a 5 and 4 split. Drive 5 and sleep 4 and drive 5 and sleep 4. Was a really nice way to run back then.