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Re: One Truck Driver's opinions.....
Author: George Andrews
Date: 12-08-2016 - 19:53
The L.A. Times article has a few mistakes:
1) The use of Triples ( 3 each - 28 foot trailers ) are allowed entirely on a state - by - state basis. They are also restricted to certain routes within the state.
2) Twin 32 foot ( or longer ) trailer doubles ( also called " Long Doubles " or " Turnpike Doubles " ) are already allowed in some states, again of the states' choosing, and only on certain routes.
3) Increasing the Gross Combination Weight ( GCW ) of a tractor & 1 trailer to 90,000 LBS is of little value considering the U.S. has become a mostly consuming economy, rather than a producing economy.
4) The 34 Hour Reset including 2 periods from 2 AM to 5 AM is an attempt to battle " Microbursts of Sleep ", that tend to occur during those early AM hours. Also, this rule only applies if a driver ( or the company that dispatches said driver ) wants to " Start Over " with a fresh 70 hours available.
Additional thoughts on the subject:
1) " Triple Twenty - Eights " are allowed in OR,NV,UT,ID,MT,CO,and I believe WY. They are used almost exclusively by the LTL Trucking Companies ( UPS, YRC, FedEx, Saia, Estes, Reddaway, Conway / XPO, Peninsula, Oak Harbor, ABF, and a few regional LTL's ) who realize BIG savings in dispatching 2 drivers with 3 trailers each, as opposed to 3 drivers with " only " 2 trailers each.
I have pulled triples twice; both times on Interstate 5 in the Willamette Valley between Portland and Tangent, OR. From where I was sitting at the time, Triples are a PAIN IN THE ASS, and hardly worth the whopping TWO cents a mile extra that Conway was so generous in paying me. Just turning left onto the I-5 on - ramp seemed to take forever, and getting up to speed in a fleet tractor governed to 62 MPH was an all - night ordeal. Oh yea, even in the flat Willamette Valley at night, you could forget all about changing lanes with a " Long Combination " measuring right around One HUNDRED feet long, from bumper to bumper. There's never enough room between vehicles.
As I mentioned above, triples are restricted ( at least in Oregon ) to Interstates 5, 205, 82, & 84, as well as a few U.S. highways going out the The Coast, but NOT on U.S. 101 once you get to the coast !!! Also, when the snow starts to fly, or the wind starts to blow, you have to drop back to doubles.
2) Most of the " Triples " - legal states also allow " Long Doubles ", with some really strange combinations observed. I've pulled twin 32 foot doubles many times; no problem just make your right turns a little bigger. I understand that, at least in Washington State, you can pull two trailers of any length that do not exceed 65 feet in Overall Trailer Length. I've seen 40 foot / 24 foot, 36 foot / 28 foot ( a common LTL set up here ), even a 45 foot / 20 foot a time or two !!! Albertsons Grocery used this combination, with both trailers having nose - mount REEFERS !!! ( It always looked like the 20 footer would nose - over when the driver unhooked from it. )
Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and I believe Colorado, also allow twin 45 foot trailers, restricted to Interstate Highways only. Also, some Mid West and Eastern States allow twin 40 foot doubles, the so - called " Turnpike Doubles ". Strangely, though Washington State allows Long Doubles, and has the same GCW ( 105,000 Lbs ) as the neighboring triples states have, triples are NOT legal in Washington. More States Rights dealings perhaps ??? I recall when the Fed increased Truck weights & lengths, and mandated doubles nationwide back in the early 1980's, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( no doubles allowed ) had quite the Hissy - Fit. They were sure thousands would die if doubles were allowed. (Interesting aside, since New York & Ohio both already allowed doubles, the LTL Companies had to deal with " The GAP " around Erie, PA. Consolidated Freightways rigged up several tractors with full rear hook - ups, and a BIG concrete block over the drive axle, to pull the rear trailer, with the converter dolly still attached to the front across The GAP on Interstate 90. ) Well, the Feds simply reminded Pennsylvania that their share of Federal Highway Funding was dependent on the state following the new standards. " Ya want our money -- Ya gotta do it OUR WAY !!! "
3) I'm not convinced of the value in increasing the basic GCW from 80,000 Lbs to 90,000 Lbs, especially given the deteriorated conditions of most Interstate Highways nowadays. Anyhow, it is much more likely, in the present U.S. economy, that you will cube out the trailer BEFORE you overweight it. What's in that trailer, steel castings or toys ??? Timken bearings or Bridgestone tires ??? Zenith Console Televisions or Pokeman games ???
Besides, there are Maximum Axle Weights, which are not going to be raised. You wanna haul more weight ??? You gotta add more axles !!! All the Triples states have GCW's of 105,000 Lbs, but that weight has to be spread out over as many as eight axles, all of which must have functional air brakes rated for the weight being carried.
4) Even though I no longer drive " Over the Road ", and therefore am not required to keep a log book ( unless I exceed 12 hours on duty or travel more than 100 air miles from my home terminal, among other exceptions ), I am all in favor of Rules requiring more time off between driving shifts. To this end the Fed changed the regs from "... 10 hours driving in a 15 hour period, after which the driver must take 8 continuous hours off before driving again , to " ... 11 hours driving in a 14 hour period, after which the driver must take 10 continuous hours off before driving again." So basically a driver gets one more hour behind the wheel, one less hour on duty, and two more hours off duty.
As a driver who spent many nights traveling around California & Arizona, I can attest that the fatigue factor is REAL, and DANGEROUS. Human beings are not normally nocturnal creatures; when the sun goes down, our bodies want sleep. I know many people who say they've adjusted to working nights, ( many Boeing friends work 2nd or 3rd shift, but indoors ), but precious few would refuse day shift work even if it meant a loss of pay differential. I've lost a good driver friend to falling asleep at the wheel, and I've suffered Microbursts of Sleep myself. At that, I was lucky, as at least I always worked nights. Many Over - the - Road drivers may drive any & all hours of the day AND night in the same week. It's the nature of OTR driving that you gotta get the load there no matter the time of day. I believe the trucking companies are fussing so much because the Feds are making them treat the Drivers like human beings, instead of just A Part of the Truck.
1) The use of Triples ( 3 each - 28 foot trailers ) are allowed entirely on a state - by - state basis. They are also restricted to certain routes within the state.
2) Twin 32 foot ( or longer ) trailer doubles ( also called " Long Doubles " or " Turnpike Doubles " ) are already allowed in some states, again of the states' choosing, and only on certain routes.
3) Increasing the Gross Combination Weight ( GCW ) of a tractor & 1 trailer to 90,000 LBS is of little value considering the U.S. has become a mostly consuming economy, rather than a producing economy.
4) The 34 Hour Reset including 2 periods from 2 AM to 5 AM is an attempt to battle " Microbursts of Sleep ", that tend to occur during those early AM hours. Also, this rule only applies if a driver ( or the company that dispatches said driver ) wants to " Start Over " with a fresh 70 hours available.
Additional thoughts on the subject:
1) " Triple Twenty - Eights " are allowed in OR,NV,UT,ID,MT,CO,and I believe WY. They are used almost exclusively by the LTL Trucking Companies ( UPS, YRC, FedEx, Saia, Estes, Reddaway, Conway / XPO, Peninsula, Oak Harbor, ABF, and a few regional LTL's ) who realize BIG savings in dispatching 2 drivers with 3 trailers each, as opposed to 3 drivers with " only " 2 trailers each.
I have pulled triples twice; both times on Interstate 5 in the Willamette Valley between Portland and Tangent, OR. From where I was sitting at the time, Triples are a PAIN IN THE ASS, and hardly worth the whopping TWO cents a mile extra that Conway was so generous in paying me. Just turning left onto the I-5 on - ramp seemed to take forever, and getting up to speed in a fleet tractor governed to 62 MPH was an all - night ordeal. Oh yea, even in the flat Willamette Valley at night, you could forget all about changing lanes with a " Long Combination " measuring right around One HUNDRED feet long, from bumper to bumper. There's never enough room between vehicles.
As I mentioned above, triples are restricted ( at least in Oregon ) to Interstates 5, 205, 82, & 84, as well as a few U.S. highways going out the The Coast, but NOT on U.S. 101 once you get to the coast !!! Also, when the snow starts to fly, or the wind starts to blow, you have to drop back to doubles.
2) Most of the " Triples " - legal states also allow " Long Doubles ", with some really strange combinations observed. I've pulled twin 32 foot doubles many times; no problem just make your right turns a little bigger. I understand that, at least in Washington State, you can pull two trailers of any length that do not exceed 65 feet in Overall Trailer Length. I've seen 40 foot / 24 foot, 36 foot / 28 foot ( a common LTL set up here ), even a 45 foot / 20 foot a time or two !!! Albertsons Grocery used this combination, with both trailers having nose - mount REEFERS !!! ( It always looked like the 20 footer would nose - over when the driver unhooked from it. )
Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and I believe Colorado, also allow twin 45 foot trailers, restricted to Interstate Highways only. Also, some Mid West and Eastern States allow twin 40 foot doubles, the so - called " Turnpike Doubles ". Strangely, though Washington State allows Long Doubles, and has the same GCW ( 105,000 Lbs ) as the neighboring triples states have, triples are NOT legal in Washington. More States Rights dealings perhaps ??? I recall when the Fed increased Truck weights & lengths, and mandated doubles nationwide back in the early 1980's, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( no doubles allowed ) had quite the Hissy - Fit. They were sure thousands would die if doubles were allowed. (Interesting aside, since New York & Ohio both already allowed doubles, the LTL Companies had to deal with " The GAP " around Erie, PA. Consolidated Freightways rigged up several tractors with full rear hook - ups, and a BIG concrete block over the drive axle, to pull the rear trailer, with the converter dolly still attached to the front across The GAP on Interstate 90. ) Well, the Feds simply reminded Pennsylvania that their share of Federal Highway Funding was dependent on the state following the new standards. " Ya want our money -- Ya gotta do it OUR WAY !!! "
3) I'm not convinced of the value in increasing the basic GCW from 80,000 Lbs to 90,000 Lbs, especially given the deteriorated conditions of most Interstate Highways nowadays. Anyhow, it is much more likely, in the present U.S. economy, that you will cube out the trailer BEFORE you overweight it. What's in that trailer, steel castings or toys ??? Timken bearings or Bridgestone tires ??? Zenith Console Televisions or Pokeman games ???
Besides, there are Maximum Axle Weights, which are not going to be raised. You wanna haul more weight ??? You gotta add more axles !!! All the Triples states have GCW's of 105,000 Lbs, but that weight has to be spread out over as many as eight axles, all of which must have functional air brakes rated for the weight being carried.
4) Even though I no longer drive " Over the Road ", and therefore am not required to keep a log book ( unless I exceed 12 hours on duty or travel more than 100 air miles from my home terminal, among other exceptions ), I am all in favor of Rules requiring more time off between driving shifts. To this end the Fed changed the regs from "... 10 hours driving in a 15 hour period, after which the driver must take 8 continuous hours off before driving again , to " ... 11 hours driving in a 14 hour period, after which the driver must take 10 continuous hours off before driving again." So basically a driver gets one more hour behind the wheel, one less hour on duty, and two more hours off duty.
As a driver who spent many nights traveling around California & Arizona, I can attest that the fatigue factor is REAL, and DANGEROUS. Human beings are not normally nocturnal creatures; when the sun goes down, our bodies want sleep. I know many people who say they've adjusted to working nights, ( many Boeing friends work 2nd or 3rd shift, but indoors ), but precious few would refuse day shift work even if it meant a loss of pay differential. I've lost a good driver friend to falling asleep at the wheel, and I've suffered Microbursts of Sleep myself. At that, I was lucky, as at least I always worked nights. Many Over - the - Road drivers may drive any & all hours of the day AND night in the same week. It's the nature of OTR driving that you gotta get the load there no matter the time of day. I believe the trucking companies are fussing so much because the Feds are making them treat the Drivers like human beings, instead of just A Part of the Truck.
