Mark Nicolia - Comments

Document ID: FMCSA-2004-19608-3183
Document Type: Public Submission
Agency: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Received Date: February 25 2008, at 10:48 AM Eastern Standard Time
Date Posted: February 25 2008, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Start Date: February 25 2008, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Due Date: March 17 2008, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
Tracking Number: 803beccb
View Document:  View as format xml

This is comment on Rule

Hours of Service of Drivers

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The HOS that are currently in place are from a safety standpoint have been proved to be effective as seen in the statistics on commercial vehicle crashes. The 10 hour rest time is a godsend especially to the company and new drivers as the companies cannot push their drivers to drive without proper rest as they did in the past. However there is one word in the 14 hour rule that if take out would GREATLY improve safety on the highways, the word continuous needs to be removed, we need to be allowed to take breaks without being penalized for doing so, today drivers,especially company drivers are pushed to drive for more hours at a time than is safe they either don't eat for that 14 hours if working because they don't have the time, or eat while driving which isn't exactly the safest either! Just to stop and stretch your legs or take a power nap if needed is now not an option, once you start your day you have to go, you are rushed to get your drive time done as soon as possible for fear that the receivers will take too much time to unload you so that you can get to a safe place to rest without driving illegally. I have many times had to sit in a receivers parking lot of if that is impossible I have had to park in some very very unsafe places outside their gates just because I ran out of hours waiting for them to unload the truck and cannot drive to a truckstop or other safe place. I usually take a nap while they do their thing and then get another 10 hours after they get done so i have had PLENTY of rest. Another thing with next day deliveries a LOT of times I arrive 6 or 8 hours before they open and get that amount of sleep and then work an hour or so but since I have not had a 10 hour break I now have to start over with another 10 sitting at the receivers, by then it is 7 or 8 at night and I will then drive to a truckstop to get something to eat,be safe and then wait for the next day to get another load, essentially having 2 days and a hour or so on just unloading. With the word continuous taken out I would be able to get more quality rest, take a nap when I need to, enjoy a decent dinner break getting substance and also refreshing myself at that time, and be able to get to a safe place to get my rest once the load is completed. the added benefit is that the industry as a whole could be run more efficiently.

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