Truckers maintain a routine schedule that changes every week!
The life of a trucker has its joys and its challenges. Truckers enjoy a relatively solitary life, enjoying the scenery of the road. Of course, there are rules for trucking, which mainly apply to driving hours and breaks. There is little more dangerous for a trucker than to drive while fatigued and distracted. Therefore, the following guidelines are in place via the DOT (Department of Transportation) to help a trucker truck in safe measures.
Work Periods vs. Duty Periods
A trucker’s hours are logged by work periods and duty periods. A work period is the same as a workweek, an allotted amount of time that a truck driver is allowed to drive. For a trucker, it is a 7-day workweek, but how that works we shall delve into later. Meanwhile, a duty period is the allotted amount of time a trucker can drive per day; it is the same as one workday.
A truck driver’s workweek and workday do not rely on the standard Sunday through Saturday calendar. Instead, they rely on the time the trucker spent working. A trucker’s paid hours depend on when he actually worked rather than what time and day it was. Mandatory breaks affect these hours.
Work Period Rules
To be specific, a truck driver can drive for the full seven days of a workweek, but there is a 34-hour break period between each 7-day workweek. Every trucker has a mandatory Sabbath day plus 10 hours. Therefore, if he drives Sunday through Saturday until midnight, he can only start working again the next Monday afternoon.
The 14-Hour Rule
A duty period, also known as the workday, lasts a maximum of 14 hours. Within those 14 hours, a truck driver can drive for up to 11 hours total. Another rule a trucker must follow is that he must take a minimum 30-minute break after every 8 hours he drives. He cannot drive for more than 8 hours at a time. The other three hours of the 14-hour period are for unloading or loading the truck, and other non-driving duties.
Exceptions
While there are penalties for drivers who ignore these rules, there are also exceptions. Bad weather, traffic, and road conditions can allow a driver to continue for up to two more hours. Also, if the driver starts and ends his trip at the same location, his workday can extend up to 16 hours.
The Future of Trucking
While these may be the current rules, one never knows how they could change in the future depending on what a legislative body rules. All in all, Evan Transportation is dedicated to providing reliable trucking services so you can deliver your goods on time.
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.