New Hours of Service Rules went into affect for 18-wheelers on July 1, 2013. The new regs increase the required rest breaks drivers must take and are designed to reduce the driver-fatigue that has been implicated in scores of trucking collisions over recent years. Many of these collisions result in needless spinal cord injuries, brain damage, and death. The new rules can be downloaded here. What follows is a summary:
| HOURS-OF-SERVICE RULES | |
|---|---|
| PROPERTY-CARRYING DRIVERS | PASSENGER-CARRYING DRIVERS |
| 11-Hour Driving Limit May drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. |
10-Hour Driving Limit May drive a maximum of 10 hours after 8 consecutive hours off duty. |
| 14-Hour Limit May not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period. |
15-Hour Limit May not drive after having been on duty for 15 hours, following 8 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time is not included in the 15-hour period. |
| Rest Breaks May drive only if 8 hours or less have passed since end of driver’s last off-duty or sleeper-berth period of at least 30 minutes. [49 CFR 397.5 mandatory "in attendance" time may be included in break if no other duties performed] |
60/70-Hour Limit May not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. |
| 60/70-Hour Limit May not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. A driver may restart a 7/8 consecutive day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty. Must include two periods from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. home terminal time, and may only be used once per week, or 168 hours, measured from the beginning of the previous restart. |
Sleeper Berth Provision Drivers using a sleeper berth must take at least 8 hours in the sleeper berth, and may split the sleeper-berth time into two periods provided neither is less than 2 hours. |
| Sleeper Berth Provision Drivers using the sleeper berth provision must take at least 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, plus a separate 2 consecutive hours either in the sleeper berth, off duty, or any combination of the two. |
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If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking collision, please do not hesitate to call the Girards law Firm at 888-897-2762.