Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/24224
of Americans have to clock out to take a lunch break, as we should be able to do. So make your break mandatory, but allow us to clock out. With this 14-hour rule it is like a constant race, which puts drivers in a hurry, which in turn makes them careless.” One of the big questions INDUSTRY GROUPS SOUND OFF COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SAFETY ALLIANCE. “We are also awaiting FMCSA’s action related to the next rule on [electronic logs] and how they treat supporting documents in conjunction with that rulemaking. We continue to believe that an across-the-board [electronic log] mandate will help increase compliance with hours-of- service regulations and, as a result, have a positive impact on safety.” – Laura Zabriskie, communications director OWNER-OPERATOR INDEPENDENT DRIVERS ASSOCIATION. “To make additional safety gains, the next hours of service rule must be more flexible to allow drivers to sleep when tired and to work when rested. The rules must encourage truck drivers to get off the road when they are tired and must not penalize them for doing so.” – Todd Spencer, executive vice president AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS. “When viewed against trucking’s sterling safety record, it’s plain that the Obama Administration’s willingness to break something that’s not broken likely has everything to do with politics and little or nothing to do with highway safety or driver health.” – Bill Graves, president and CEO SAFETY ADVOCATES. “The new proposed rule does not eliminate anti- safety provisions that allow truck drivers to drive and work long hours, get less rest and drive while fatigued.” – Joint statement from Public Citizen, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and the Truck Safety Coalition before the proposed changes were announced was whether FMCSA would reduce the number of driving hours allowed between off-duty periods from the current 11 to 10. Rather than decide now, the agency says it will settle the question following public comment. The agency did say, however, it is leaning toward reducing the driving time limit to 10 hours. Regardless of the number of hours allowed per shift, FMCSA’s proposal would place new restrictions on drivers’ workdays. Under the current rule, drivers can do nondriving work after the 14-hour window for driving time. FMCSA now proposes to require that drivers’ workdays end immediately following the 14-hour window. Sound complicated? ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said the details were “overly complex, chock full of unnecessary restrictions on professional truck drivers.” Truck productivity industrywide, he added, would be substantially reduced under the proposal, particularly if maximum driving hours were limited to 10, an outcome ATA’s news release assumed to be likely. Another industry concern leading into the NPRM’s release was whether FMCSA would increase the number of hours required to restart the 60 hours in seven days/70 hours in eight days limits on cumulative on-duty time. The agency proposed to leave the restart at 34 hours but with a significant restriction: Restarts would have to include two periods of midnight to 6 a.m. In addition, (Continued on Page 42) What types of additives are in diesel engine oil and how do they work? By Mark Reed Shell Lubricants Additives represent 15 to 20 percent of a gallon of oil with the balance being high-quality base oil. Additive packages help keep an engine clean and protected from varnish and sludge, as well as provide protection against wear, heat and acids. Key additives perform vital functions: Antioxidants - Engine oils react with oxygen in the air forming organic acids. Oxidation causes an increase in oil viscosity, sludge and varnish formation, corrosion of metallic parts and foaming. Antioxidants inhibit the oxidation process. Anti-wear additives - Anti-wear additives prevent direct metal-to- metal contact between the engine parts by adding a protective, sacrifi cal fi lm. Using anti-wear additives promotes long engine life by reducing wear and scoring of the engine. Friction modifi ers - Friction modifi ers reduce engine friction, resulting in less fuel consumption. Dispersants - Dispersants keep foreign particles suspended from oil so they don’t form deposit build- up on engine parts. Detergents - Detergents neutralize strong acids present in oil and remove them from metal surfaces. Detergents also form a fi lm on the metal surfaces preventing sludge and varnish from forming in high temperature parts of the engine. Properly functioning diesel engine oils help enhance fuel economy, prevent deposits and maintain proper fl ow and viscosity under all temperatures. 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