What Truck Parking Changes Have You Seen With New HOS?

ATeam · Jul 15, 2013

New Hours of Service rules went into effect on July 1.

One new rule requires drivers to take a 30 minute break within the first eight hours of your work (on duty or driving), and maybe another 30 minute break in the same day, depending on how your hours for that day work out.

Another new rule reduces the flexibility and frequency with which a 34-hour restart may be taken.

Before and when the new rules rolled out, there was a good deal of talk among drivers about the effects the rules would have on truck parking; specifically, its availability.

Today is Monday, July 15. The first part of the month was affected by the Fourth of July long weekend, but the nation has returned to a normal workweek now. With traffic of all kinds flowing as usual again, what changes, if any, have you seen with truck parking?

noneya · Jul 15, 2013

ATeam said:
New Hours of Service rules went into effect on July 1.

One new rule requires drivers to take a 30 minute break within the first eight hours of your work (on duty or driving), and maybe another 30 minute break in the same day, depending on how your hours for that day work out.

Another new rule reduces the flexibility and frequency with which a 34-hour restart may be taken.

Before and when the new rules rolled out, there was a good deal of talk among drivers about the effects the rules would have on truck parking; specifically, its availability.

Today is Monday, July 15. The first part of the month was affected by the Fourth of July long weekend, but the nation has returned to a normal workweek now. With traffic of all kinds flowing as usual again, what changes, if any, have you seen with truck parking?

I have noticed the over crowding of 18 Wheelers @ the rest areas at night. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't see that prior to 7/1/13.

SENT FROM YA MAMA'S HOUSE

moose · Jul 15, 2013

last week, twice i pulled off the HWY for a fuel stop only to circle the fuel island and go back out because of too many trucks waiting in line for fuel.
Sunday morning i was almost the only truck crossing Chicago, yet when i got to the Racine Pilot for a fuel stop, i had to wait in line.
early afternoon, the Rogers rest area was full, that's on a Sun.
Today i drove by the 2 truckstops here in M.N {Stuckman's & the IGH Pilot} just around noon. both had multiple trucks lined back behind the fuel islands, and parking lots where full to the limits. in both cases trucks where parked along the curve lines, sometime 3 deep.

Slo-Ride · Jul 16, 2013

Seen nothing different so far.
1st week of July was on vacation. last week was nothing but a bunch of Shorty's so new rules never affected the work week. Last night was first day with full log page only to arrive and have a guard tell me I had to leave and come back in the morning..I did try to play the log book game with him but it didn't matter.

BigCat · Jul 16, 2013

Illinois rest areas have been filling during the day on i57 lately.

OntarioVanMan · Jul 16, 2013

One being closed for renovation doesn't help any.

ATeam · Jul 16, 2013

We have been in and west of Texas since the weekend. All fuel stops have been normal; no delays. All freeway ramps have been empty. Rest areas have been normal. Parking at the truck stops we saw seemed normal at various times of the day.

There was one exception. A four-hour stop at the TA in Rockwall, TX from 11:30 Saturday night to 03:30 Sunday morning was strange; really strange. On a weekend, the place was filled to overflowing. Trucks were double parked in places they should not be, even triple parked in spots. Drivers were orbiting again and again, hoping to get lucky and catch a spot if one opened up. About half of the fuel lanes were empty. The other half had trucks parked there two or three deep. How long they remained there I do not know. We were able to squeeze into a tiny little corner as only a straight truck could.

Most trucks stops have plenty of parking that time of night on a weekend. Away from the truck stop, the ramps had no trucks on them. There was no unusual number of trucks parked in the many retail lots and service roads that could be seen from the freeway.

I do not know what was going on at the Rockwall TA that time of night on a weekend. It was different than anything I have seen at any truck stop before; and, as I said, all other truck stops we saw (in TX, NM and AZ), either from afar or when making stops there, were normal, meaning the same as they were under the old rules.

jjoerger · Jul 16, 2013

There was a fight Saturday afternoon at the fuel island at the Flying J in Winslow, AZ.
A semi was just sitting at the pumps. The driver in the truck waiting behind finally gave up and moved to another pump. While fueling the driver that had moved pumps walked over to the driver that was just sitting there and said something to him. He then got punched by the driver blocking the fuel aisle. The police were called. Don't know what happened after that as we were done fueling and left.

Turtle · Jul 16, 2013

Like the Rockwall incident, I've noticed more overcrowding on the weekends than during the week. The Pilot in Sturbridge, MA (was especially nuts), the TA in Southington, CT last weekend, this this weekend the J in Franklin, KY on Saturday and the J in Birmingham and TA in Montgomery, AL on Sunday were all overflowing with trucks, some parked three deep along the perimeter. These are places where the weekends are normally relatively quiet and not overcrowded.

Of course, it may have nothing to do with the new rules, it may simply be more drivers are out over the weekends after having taken extra time off for the 4th of July, or shippers are playing catch-up after the extended 4th holiday. It'll probably take a few more weeks and weekends to see if any patterns develop.

ATeam · Jul 16, 2013

Turtle said:
Of course, it may have nothing to do with the new rules, it may simply be more drivers are out over the weekends after having taken extra time off for the 4th of July, or shippers are playing catch-up after the extended 4th holiday. It'll probably take a few more weeks and weekends to see if any patterns develop.

I agree and will keep observing and not draw any truck-parking conclusions until the end of August at the earliest.

Another unknown is the level of compliance with the new rules. How many drivers are following the new rules and how many are running as they did before? We have no way to know that. But with fines for non-compliance going higher than the monthly take-home pay of many truckers, word about the new rules and the fines for non-compliance will spread fast when such fines are imposed.

layoutshooter · Jul 16, 2013

Has anyone calculated just how much time their 30 minute break is REALLY costing them? I have not yet figured it out but it AT LEAST 40 minutes, if not more, to get in a 30 minute break.

aquitted · Jul 17, 2013

Everything iv'e seen has been the typical truck driver mentality.

OntarioVanMan · Jul 17, 2013

how many actually take the break when they bump the dock?....multi stop drivers will probably not have a problem.....just log the 30 while waiting for a dock or getting loaded/unloaded...

Slo-Ride · Jul 17, 2013

OntarioVanMan said:
how many actually take the break when they bump the dock?....multi stop drivers will probably not have a problem.....just log the 30 while waiting for a dock or getting loaded/unloaded...

Paper logs: Log the time ya hit the city limit or commercial district and the 30 min should never be a problem when picking up. Unless of course your speeding and need to wait for the log book to catch up to you. I allways run behind traffic so my math and miles are rarely a proplem.

Picking up auto freight: (@ the plants) Safe bet you will have a xtra 30 min most of the time anyways.

OntarioVanMan · Jul 17, 2013

Slo-Ride said:
Paper logs: Log the time ya hit the city limit or commercial district and the 30 min should never be a problem when picking up. Unless of course your speeding and need to wait for the log book to catch up to you. I allways run behind traffic so my math and miles are rarely a proplem.

Picking up auto freight: (@ the plants) Safe bet you will have a xtra 30 min most of the time anyways.

now that darn restart is a whole different story...

Slo-Ride · Jul 17, 2013

OntarioVanMan said:
now that darn restart is a whole different story...

Solo driver OVM..Rarely a issue & Ill be at the house before it happens me again. Especially under the new rules.

(I hope)

geo · Jul 17, 2013

one more reason to drive a sprinter van
we have some great deal's on new sprinters

BigCat · Jul 17, 2013

At the loves here just east of Murfreesboro tn on 24 everyone is taking theirs on the pumps. Since I needed one as well I just pulled behind them and started mine then got my fuel.

Parking is full and they are stacking in wherever they fit. It's a mess for sure.