Managing Hours of Service Basic Compliance
Managing Hours of Service Basic Compliance
Hours of Service (HOS) has always been a hot-topic in the trucking industry. However, with the advent of Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA), even more attention is being paid to this issue. Historically, HOS is the most frequently noticed violation at the time of roadside inspections. Continuous violations of HOS rules have an impact on motor carriers’ & drivers’ fatigued driving BASIC score.
Hours-of-service compliance means adhering to the limits & maintaining a current legal record of duty status. With the rules in force by FMCSA, the trucking industry needs to account for these regulatory changes. The rule includes 3 maximum limits as follows:
- 11-hour driving rule: As a driver, you must take at least 10 consecutive hours of rest after 11 hours of driving time.
- 14 consecutive hour duty rule: You cannot drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty. This rule provides you a good ‘time-window’ in which you may work after the 14th hour but you may not drive.
- 60 hours per 7 days and 70 hours per 8 days limit: This rule is pretty straightforward. The first limit restricts you from driving a CMV after 60 hours in any period of 7-consecutive days ‘on duty’ time. On the flipside, the 70 hours per 8 days limit doesn’t allow you to drive a CMV after 70 hours in any period of 8-consecutive days ‘on duty’ time. ‘On duty’ time includes all hours from the time you start work until you are relieved from all workload. It is important to mention that under each limit you may perform non-driving work but those hours should be logged into your total.
The log book is a very important part of HOS compliance which must be filled out for each 24 hour period. The handwritten log must include the following types of information:
- Date & total miles driven per day.
- Carrier’s name, main office address, and truck or trailer number.
- 24 hour period starting time.
- Driver’s signature with remarks.
- Name of the co-driver (if any).
- Total hours in each duty status.
- Shipper name, shipping document number, and commodity.
Compliance with the hours-of-service has become a bigger issue as it affects the motor carriers’ fare under CSA.
Are your drivers using paper logs for HOS Compliance? Contact us for a free trial — FleetUp is registered with FMCSA as an ELD.
