Page 22 - ATR 5 2019 digital

safer by allowing drivers to stop and
take a nap. Splitting up the hours also
lets drivers stop outside of a big city
until rush hour traffic thins.
“We’re all humans,” he said. “We
all have different sleep habits. And the
“[THE 30-MINUTE BREAK] IS NOT NEEDED IN THE way the law is written now, once they
REAL WORLD. MAYBE IT LOOKS RIGHT ON PAPER, get behind the wheel and start driving,
BUT IN THE REAL WORLD IT’S they’ve got to drive for 10 hours, and
NOT A VIABLE OPTION.” if they want to stop seven-and-a-half
hours in and take a siesta, they can’t do
it. It forces them to run another two-
—JEFF LOGGINS, PRESIDENT & CEO OF LOGGINS LOGISTICS and-a-half hours while tired.”
Greg Carman, president of
Carman, Inc., said a more flexible split
sleeper berth provision would be benefi-
cial for his regional fleet. Restrictions
on total driving time are fine, he said,
proposals are on a fast track, and the to successfully use,” he said. “That’s also but drivers would like to be able to sleep
Trump administration is eager to get probably the one that would be the most when they are tired, drive when they are
something done before the November likely target of a subsequent lawsuit.” fresh, and avoid traffic.
2020 elections. When both the
American Trucking Associations and THE CHEERS GOOD START, BUT MORE TO BE
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers PAM Transport’s Clark Gray, vice DESIRED
Association asked for additional time to president of driver resources & compli- However, some executives inter-
comment, the FMCSA gave them only ance, said pausing the 14-hour driving viewed for this story wish the agency
14 days. window would alleviate the pressure a would go further. CalArk’s Stout said
Garney said the changes came driver may currently feel to keep driv- she was disappointed with the change
about as a result of the electronic log- ing when he or she needs to rest. And because earlier this year the FMCSA had
ging device mandate. Motor carriers Scott Richardson, safety manager at indicated it would offer more flexible
asked for flexibility knowing they would Dedicated Logistics, said the proposal options. She would like to see drivers
be tracked to the minute, and the would allow drivers to rest while wait- given the option to split their hours
Trump administration heard the indus- ing for their trucks to load and unload. however is needed, as long as one of
try’s concerns. “That is something that will be the splits is a minimum of two hours,
“That’s what the trucking industry extremely helpful for our drivers, we as Canada does. That would allow driv-
wants ultimately, right?” he said. “They think,” he said. ers more flexibility when they need
want to be able to be as productive as CalArk’s director of safety, Leslie to rest and would help address issues
they can for as long as they can, and Stout, said the duty day should be set like drivers’ time spent waiting to load
this will allow them to take some of at a maximum of 16 hours regardless. and unload. A driver who spends five
those unproductive hours out of their Otherwise, with those three extra hours hours at the dock could use that time
workday.” and the two-hour adverse conditions to rest in the sleeper berth. Dedicated
Of the proposals, most were expect- provision, a driver’s day could stretch to Logistics’ Richardson also would like to
ed except for the pause in the 14-hour 19 hours. see more options. He said drivers have
clock. Garney called that change “a “I think this would be very difficult different circadian rhythms and need to
bit of a surprise to some” because the to manage from both enforcement and rest when their body tells them to rest.
agency has justified its current regula- carrier,” she wrote in an email. “And Dean Newell, Maverick
tions based on a 24-hour clock – 14 again, we still have to manage fatigue Transportation’s vice president, agreed,
hours on duty and 10 off. The change exposure, and it would be hard to do so saying, “I think the flexibility’s good.
would extend the duty day and create with a driver extending his day to 19 That’s what we’ve been asking for. I don’t
an irregular rhythm. hours.” quite understand why they limited it to
“That’s the one I think is going to Regarding the proposed change to seven and three and eight and two. Why
be hardest for FMCSA to justify from a the split sleeper berth provision, Gabe didn’t they go to six and four, possibly to
data perspective because there’s (not) a Stephens, vice president of C.C. Jones five and five? That makes sense.”
lot of data out there that they’ll be able Trucking, said it would make the public 

22 Issue 5 2019 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT