[Leaning Right]

> This is wrong. And dangerous. <

I agree. So loading and unloading cargo is now considered to be “break time”. Who came up with these new rules? This actually might be funny if -as you noted - it weren’t also dangerous.

I would like to see the new-rules guy spend his down time at work moving 50 pound boxes around. Maybe that would give him a new perspective on this situation.

[Alberta's Child]

I’m pretty sure the “loading and unloading” refers to the time a driver spends doing nothing while the CUSTOMER does the loading/unloading.

This is called “detention time” in the trucking industry, and it’s a problem that seriously reduces the efficiency of the industry. A driver can only be considered “on duty” for a maximum of 14 hours a day, and when it takes a customer four hours to unload a truck that should be done in two hours, the driver loses two hours of time on the road. This is a huge burden on the driver in an industry where they are typically paid by the mile, not by hour.

[CIB-173RDABN]

So loading and unloading cargo is now considered to be “break time”

—

I am not a truck driver but are you telling me the driver is the one that loads and unloads the trucks?

I thought one of two things.

First there are two parts to a truck, the cab and the load. I thought the truck driver picked up a trailer and was off, or reverse drops a trailer off and picks up another one.

I can see an independent might need to wait while the trailer was being loaded, but again I ask, does the driver do this or do the warehouse workers do it?

If the driver is not doing it, what is he (or she) doing while it is being loaded? Could it be they are taking a break?

---

Many of us are quick to offer opinions when we do not know what we are talking about. In this case I am as ignorant as most. Perhaps a real live truck driver can offer some information.

[oldvirginian]

“. So loading and unloading cargo is now considered to be “break time”. Who came up with these new rules? This actually might be funny if -as you noted - it weren’t also dangerous.”

Back in the day of paper logs we always counted anything other than driving as bunk time. We would show 15 minutes “on duty not driving” as our unload time and the rest of the time in the bunk.
We also did split sleeper breaks. Drive for three or four hours then sleep three or four. It made a difference on tight runs.
Not sure you can do that now with paperless logs. I know they got rid of the split sleeper.

The HOS for truck drivers was really screwed up in the Obama years by Ray LaHood, Sec of Transportation.
When he had the HOS redone he had the DOT listen to input from every pity party and anti trucking group in the country. The two groups never consulted were truck drivers and sleep experts.
It was like only taking input from Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety for firearms issues.
LaHood admitted he had a hard on for trucking and showed it.

[cyclotic]

Most drivers sit in the cab while warehouse workers do the load and unload work.

Right now, that counts as on duty not driving time, even though the driver is sitting in the cab or the warehouse driver lounge if there is one.

Then, they have mandated breaks where more often that not, they just sped=nd it sitting in the cab. While it sounds unfair, it’s actually a benefit for them and may serve to get them home faster and/or decrease delivery time.