“On Duty, Not Driving” is lingo common in the trucking world.
A trucker’s job is more than just hauling stuff around behind their cab; a considerable part of his everyday existence centers around being calm, safe, and compliant. Safety is incredibly important because the trucker is not only responsible for his own safety and the safety of every other person on the road around them. If they cause an accident or even have one due to harsh weather, it could be life-altering or fatal for the people in the smaller vehicles. Compliance means adhering to the rules that are in place to keep everyone safe, like rules about how many hours in a day or week someone can spend behind the wheel. But the time behind the wheel isn’t the only time you spend working, so let’s dig into what it means to be on duty but not driving.
What Is On Duty Driving?
On Duty Driving is also known as “Line 3 time,” the time spent driving your rig on duty on a highway. This time must be logged and tracked and is subject to compliance laws. Generally, you are limited to 60 hours of on duty driving time in the last seven days or 70 hours in the last eight days. Once you reach that point, you must take a break. There is also a limit to the number of consecutive duty hours, which is 14 hours. You have to take a break if you reach 14 hours of on-duty driving.
So What Is On Duty Not Driving?
It is important to note that you can take a break and still be both on duty and working. The term “On duty, not driving” refers to all of the work activities you can do when you reach any of the previously mentioned thresholds, and some of them include driving (just not on a highway). If you need to move containers around a yard, you can do this while on duty, not driving, as long as the yard is closed to the public. Driving something other than your rig, even on public roads and highways is also not counted, so you could be heading into the office in a pickup and be considered still on duty, not driving. On duty, not driving hours are also a great time to inspect your rig, perform maintenance, and complete any other inventories and checks you need.
For All Your Trucking Needs
Follow us here at Evan Transportation to get more updates on driving tips and the trucking industry. Evan Transportation provides trucking and transportation services for clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. All of our drivers and staff are offered competitive salaries, benefits, and are guaranteed to be home every day. Interested in finding out more? Visit us online or give us a call at 443-673-3365. For even more information, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.