Can Someone Explain The Split Sleeper Berth Logbook Rule To Me?

Can someone explain split logging please?

Are you talking about the split sleeper berth thing?

Yes. Instead of 10 hour break an 8 hr break

OK so here's a simplified example. Say you start your 14 hour clock at 6am. You drive for 5 hours until 11am, then stop for a 2 hour break until 1pm. You have now given yourself the option to use the split sleeper at the end if the day. I say the "option" because you don't have to use it, you can still take a full 10 and reset your 14.

Anyway, so you took your 2 hour break from 11am to 1pm, then you continue driving. You can still only drive 11 hours total within your 14 hour window, so since you already drove 5 hours that morning, you have 6 left. You drive until 7pm and stop for the night.

Your 14 hour clock had started at 6am and you finished at 7pm, so you have not violated any rules. Note that the 14 hour clock continues to run even during the 2 hour break. The only time that will not count on your 14 hours is a minimum of 8 hours in the sleeper.

So at 7pm you enter the sleeper for 8 hours and start again at 3am. Now, one thing to remember is that no two adjacent driving periods can add up to more than 11 hours. This means yesterday evening's 6 hours, plus this morning's driving, must not exceed 11 hours. That means that starting at 3am, you have 5 hours to drive before you must take at least 2 more hours off duty. Additionally, another 14 hour clock was started at the end if your previous 2 hour break, which was at 1pm yesterday. The 8 hour break does not count, so 1pm plus 14 hours plus the 8 hours in the sleeper adds up to 11am the next day. This means you have until 11am to take that next 2 hour break.

Confused yet?

You drive that 5 hours starting at 3am (which starts another 14 hour clock that overlaps with the other one), and at 8am you must now take 2 hours off duty until 10am. You can then drive 6 more hours, etc. You remain stuck in this cycle until you take a full 10 and reset everything.

Now here's a more realistic example:

6:00 - pretrip 6:15 - drive 8:30 - arrive at shipper and wait for load (off duty) 11:15 - start loading 12:00 - finish loading and start driving 13:30 - stop for lunch 14:30 - drive 17:30 - potty break 17:45 - drive 19:30 - stop for the night

So here, your 14 hours started at 6 am. You drove for 2.25 hours and then took a minimum of 2 hours off while you waited for your load. This left 8.75 hours available to drive for the rest of the day. You only used 6.25 (1.5 + 3 + 1.75). Now at 19:30, instead of having to wait 10 hours before you can drive again, you can actually drive again after 8 hours because you already took at least 2 hours off earlier. This is great because you're still about 4 hours from your delivery and you have an 8 am appointment. By leaving at 3:30 instead of 5:30, you'll be able to make it on time. Now if you weren't in a rush, at this point I would suggest just taking a full 10 so you wouldn't have to deal with the split sleeper rules.

Anyway, you drove 6.25 hours in the last driving period, so you can drive 4.75 now before having to take another 2 off. Also, you ended your 2 hour break at 11:15 yesterday, so not including the 8 hours in the sleeper, you have until 9:15 to do it.

You hit the road at 3:30 and arrive at the receiver at 7:45. You go off duty until they start unloading you at 8:15, and they finish at 9:00. You're now 15 minutes away from violating your 14 hour rule, so you head down the street to Walmart and park at 9:15 for your 2 hour break. This break ends up being 3.75 hours because you're waiting on a dispatch. So at 13:00 you start driving again.

You drove 4.25 hours before, so you can drive 6.75 hours now. That doesn't matter though, because since you started your day at 3:30, you have to finish at 17:30, which is only 4.5 hours away. You drive 4.5 hours and stop. If you take 8 hours in the sleeper, you will be able to drive 6.5 hours tomorrow morning before having to take 2 off. If you take 10 hours off though, you will reset your hours and get out of this crazy cycle!

Sorry for such a long explanation, I hope that makes sense!

I think I'll just try to stick with 10 hour breaks exclusively.

I think I'll just try to stick with 10 hour breaks exclusively.

Jay, yes the 8+2 split is a mess, but sometimes it comes in handy. A quick example (I've done this) is when you have a delivery appointment, say 7am. You can get to a nearby truck stop* as late as 10pm before your appointment. (The extra hour allows for pre-trip & Truck Stop to Final Destination travel). take an 8 hour break. Make your delivery, and depending on the time left, move to a next pickup. Get the remaining 2 hours in, and that should reset your clock. Delivery made without being 2 hours late.

*If you can get away with it, you could park in the street at the delivery address.

And for those who aren't familiar with it, our High Road Training Program has a huge section on Learning The Logbook Rules.

Yes. Instead of 10 hour break an 8 hr break

Dude, nobody.... And I mean NOBODY understands this! If u can fogure it out and utilize it.... More power to you!

Here's the way I understand and use the 8/2 split: I use the 8 hour sleeper break first. What this does is "pause" your 14 at wherever it was when you started your break. After 8 hours sleeper you'll get back the hours you had left at the start of the pause. (Example: You drive 8 hours strait and go sleeper. When you start your break you should have 6 hours of on duty time left. After 8 hours sleeper you now get those 6 hours back. IE you only get back what you had when you paused the clock)

Now comes the fun part. When you then take your 2 hour break, you'll get back all your hours minus what you used between your initial 8 hour break and your second 2 hour break. (Example: after our 8 hour sleeper we had 6 hours available. We then had 4 more hours of on duty time driving. After driving those 4 hours we take our 2 hour break. The 14 now resets minus what we took after the pause (4 hours) We now have 10 hours of on duty time available.

This is the way my brain TRIES to comprehend this stupid rule. I only use it when I can't quite make my delivery in a full 11 hour shift and I don't have time to get my full 10 hour break in.

Now if you'll excuse me I need a nap.

Now comes the fun part. When you then take your 2 hour break, you'll get back all your hours minus what you used between your initial 8 hour break and your second 2 hour break. (Example: after our 8 hour sleeper we had 6 hours available. We then had 4 more hours of on duty time driving. After driving those 4 hours we take our 2 hour break. The 14 now resets minus what we took after the pause (4 hours) We now have 10 hours of on duty time available.

That's about as clear as mud, but still a good explanation. I guess.