What does your drivers day look like?

[PavementPilot]

One of the roadblocks to figuring out how to take advantage of the deferred off duty rule option in the new regulations is having a good grounding by some real drivers about the number and length of off duty breaks that you take in a day. So let’s hear it please. How bad is it? Are you expected to work 16 hours straight without a break? Are you logging off duty for 30 minutes at least once or twice a day? Do you ever log off duty for 1 hour a day? What is the primary purpose of the break? Eat, relief, relax?

This is a poll started on another forum by the moderator Robin. I like the question asked, so I am driectly quoting Robins comment and Poll here to see what you think.


Let me explain my vote of No Breaks. I only run a out and back shift. I want my off time at home sleeping or sharing it with my family. I ain't going to be spending it on the road with my thumb stuck where the sun don't shine.

[buzzy]

You have to eat sometime!

I don't eat out of a paperbag or lunch bucket. That forces me to park, go in to a restauraunt/diner and relax AWAY from the truck. In the meal break, I can read a paper, make a few harrassing phone calls to family and friends or just sit and recoup my sanity for the next push.

[bikerboy]

Some jobs there is no where to stop all day!

I have been on gravel hauling jobs, where i spend all day out on gravel roads in the country. And there are no stores or anything to stop at. So i wouldn;t want to be forced to take a break, when there is nothing to do, but sit in the truck!

[bikerboy]

I used run a dedicated LTL run with about 8 drops per day, then home everyday, I never stopped for breaks when doing that, or if i did stop, i only stop maybe 5 minutes, then go again. I always wanted to get done and get home as fast as i could.

If i was on long run, like a few days, i would stop more, if i had lots of time to get there. I would probably split my time, taking 2 hours worth of breaks during the day, and then 8 hours for sleeping.

Local and long haul guys run totally differnet, most local guys take all their off duty time at home, and work straight through the whole day.

[Accremonious]

When I was still working, which was medium to long haul, if I did not take my breaks I usually ended up insome kind of trouble. Hence the handle!!