It's a Team's Life

Why fight the half hour break?

In eight hours on duty we have to take a 1/2 break and if we take the break before we have driven four hours and we plan on maximizing our eleven hours we will have to take two 1/2-hour breaks. For health and wellness reasons the break is a good thing as I find that I am horrible about pushing the maximums and I do not stop and stretch often enough.

When reading on line about those who sit at a desk and their recommendations are get up and move every hour for ten minutes. Why are we arguing that we cannot and do not want to get up within eight hours for a 1/2 hour break? Maybe part of the problem is that we don't want to stop for 1/2 hour we want to stop for thirteen minutes or we want to stop for five minutes. When listening in to the FMCSA listening sessions drivers said they were driving for way to many hours, actually I think I heard they were being forced to drive to many hours at a time. Well since FMCSA cannot customize a solution for every driver they came up with this break.

When the 1/2-hour break first started I found myself frustrated and I quickly realized that I was not stopping often enough to stretch my legs. I was of the belief that the freight has got to go go go... You know that as I am aging I am all ready feeling the affects of the freight has got to go go go.. From not stopping often enough or waiting to long to use the restroom I am feeling the affects of that. When I get out of the truck I am stiff, and it takes a little longer as time goes on to loosen up. Will the companies involved be there when we can no longer drive, we are crippled, have diabetes, or other health issues to assist us in our health care or make our lives easier? Who will remember driving straight through to make a delivery or that we went hours without stopping to use the restroom as that would take to much time. Once we ruin our health from got to go, got to deliver the freight, run run run it is not going to come back. When our health goes and we cannot pass a physical due to us mistreating our body we are going to be out of a job and lucky if we get a thank you.

Picking up various trade journals I see reporters writing about how bad the 1/2 break is and as I read this I imagine them getting up and going to the bathroom, walking over to talk to a co worker, or getting up to get them selves something to drink in between paragraphs. We as drivers need to take care of ourselves and since I have not done such a good job of it I am glad this has been pointed out to me.

Recently while talking to a group of drivers who have several deliveries a day they were frustrated over the 1/2-hour break and I could easily see where they were coming from. They get out of their trucks several times a day to check in with customers, open doors, close doors, check seals, and so they are moving. They do move and most of them looked to be much healthier then over the road drivers.

Instead of fighting the 1/2-hour break take advantage of it and use it to stay healthy!

Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
[email protected]

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