 Hours of service
regulations have not been revised since 1939. However on January 4, 2004, the
new federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Hours of Service will take effect.
The new regulations significantly impact all aspects of driving times.
Specifically, the new rules increase driving and rest times while prohibiting
driving after the end of 14 consecutive hours on duty time. That means the new
rules will have a significant impact on loading, unloading, meal breaks,
sleeper berth, and on duty not driving times. Unlike the old 15-hour rule, the
new 14-hour on-duty rule does not allow off-duty time, including meal breaks,
to extend an operator's workday. In other words, once the 14-hour rule workday
began, following a 10 consecutive off-duty period, all non-driving time will
impact the delivery time.
In most cases, all of the time spent waiting to load, or unload, will
significantly affect an operator's ability to continue with a timely delivery.
Dallas Mavis is committed to strict compliance with all state and federal
regulations including these new Hours of Service rules. To help facilitate a
smooth transition and ensure on-time delivery for us all, we are asking all of
our customers to review their loading/unloading procedures, including all
waiting times. Below are some examples that could most impact transit times:
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Excessive time loading/unloading
- Multiple stops
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Live load/unload
- Any delays in loading/unloading
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The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations require all motor carriers
and operators to follow the hours of service requirements. Hours of service
procedures will help avoid DOT penalties and reduce fatigue. If you have any
questions, please contact Joe Lindsley in the Safety Department 888-878-2504
ext 6139.
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