Today’s Pickup: KeepTruckin proposes 16-hour day for drivers detained at shippers/receivers

Good day,

Offering long-haul truck drivers the opportunity to extend their day by 2 hours is the goal of a new petition to FMCSA from KeepTruckin. The ELD provider said an analysis of data collected from devices found a troubling pattern of safety concerns when drivers are detained at shippers.

“The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s stated mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle related fatalities and injuries. The hours-of-service rules are critical to realizing that goal, however there is one requirement for property carrying drivers that does not serve its intended purpose and fails to reflect the reality of life on the road — the 14 hour limit that prohibits driving after the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty,” the company said.

According to KeepTruckin, drivers who are detained at a shipper or receiver facility drive an average of 3.5 mph faster following an “extended detention event” of at least 2 hours in an effort to make up for lost time. Seventy-five percent of drivers suffer such an event as least once a week and 35% must wait at least 6 hours once a week on average. In all, drivers are faced with seven extended detention events per month.

A KeepTruckin survey of drivers also found that 81% feel pressured to make it to their next stop on time and 32% admitted driving faster after being detained.

“While the intent of the 14 hour limit is to reduce fatigue related accidents, the rule is having the opposite effect — drivers are driving faster to make up for lost time, resulting in increased frequency and severity of accidents,” Keep Truckin said.

To combat this, the company’s petition suggests allowing drivers who are detained to add 2 hours to their allowable work time, extending the 14-hour rule to 16 hours.

“Much like short haul drivers are allowed to take a 16-hour exception, long-haul property carrying drivers should be able to exercise an Extended Detention Exception to increase the 14-hour limit to 16 hours,” the firm said.

Did you know?

According to Securing America’s Future Energy, use of 33-foot twin trailers would result in an estimated 23 billion gallons of diesel saved by 2050 and the widespread use of existing platooning technologies could also save up to 20 billion gallons of diesel fuel through 2050.

Quotable:

“Self-driving trucks will manage long haul driving on some interstate highways, but having two hands on the wheel will still be the best way to get a load to its final destination. Truck drivers possess the critical skills that self-driving trucks may never match — like backing into a tight dock, navigating a busy industrial yard, or moving axles on a trailer.”

– Uber in a Medium blog post

In other news:

Class-action lawsuit against Swift to continue

A long-running class-action lawsuit over driver pay against Swift Transportation can proceed after the Arizona Supreme Court declined to decertify the class, allowing a case of up to 80,000 plaintiffs to continue. (Overdrive)

33-foot twins, platooning could boost fuel savings

According to a new report, the use of 33-foot twin trailers and platooning technology could drastically reduce the amount of fuel used in the transportation sector. (Heavy Duty Trucking)

Diesel fuel continues climb

The national average price of a gallon of diesel climbed another 3.3 cents last week to $2.915, according to government data. (Transport Topics)

Uber sees drivers continuing to move freight

In a blog post on Medium, Uber said that it envisions drivers continuing to play a critical role in the movement of freight even as self-driving trucks become a reality. (Transport Topics)

Doft turns to cryptocurrencies for fund-raising

Startup Doft launched an initial coin offering, allowing buyers to purchase Doftcoins in an effort to raise capital. (DC Velocity)

Final Thoughts

KeepTruckin has started a petition to allow drivers detained for 2 hours or more at a facility to add 2 hours to their allowable daily work time, giving them 16 hours to complete their 11 hours of driving. It’s sure to draw fire from safety advocates, but it’s a good start to solving a significant driver issue.

Hammer down everyone!

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