Overdrive

VOICES 4 | Overdrive | June 2017 As the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's electronic logging device mandate looms at yearend, there's been more talk about the need for greater fl exibility in the hours of service rule. Clifford "Chappy" Petersen, in a letter he addressed to President Trump, cast the issues with hours relief against related congestion, parking and other thorny problems where safety is at stake. "By allowing drivers to stop their 14-hour clock when the need arises, such issues can be avoided many times," Petersen wrote. As it is, the clock's relentless ticking encourages hustle when the safest option might be to rest. Overdrive Senior Editor Todd Dills joined Buckland, Ohio-based owner-operator Scott Reed in April for a four-load two-day run of short hauls. After loading the second dry van-full on the fi rst day, factors such as dock delays and road construc- tion presented a situation where Reed might have benefi ted from some fl exibility. After the shipper – a processor of recycled plastic – loaded the truck, it was 4:30 p.m. Reed had just under three of his 14 hours remaining. Experiencing an issue with the clutch brake in his '05 Pete and feeling like he could use a couple hours of shuteye, the ability to stop the clock for a lengthy nap might have gotten him nearly to his destination three hours away before the end of the day, with time to stage nearby for a 7 a.m. delivery. It also would have put him closer to relatives who could have made quick work of the clutch issue. Reed chose to drive to a truck stop where he could get a full 10 off and start the next day in time to make the 7 a.m. unload. After reading Dills' story about Reed, Gary Carlisle paid tribute to those trying to make a fl awed rule work. "All those paper-hanger millen- nial-managerial types and govern- ment do-gooders sit back and boast of improving safety in the trucking business," Carlisle wrote in a letter to Overdrive, "and all they have done is complicate the job of one of Ameri- ca's toughest professions." All that drivers ask, he writes, "is to be given freedom to do their job as safely as they know how. Truck drivers aren't in the news every day demanding overtime, which very few get, yet they work 70 hours in eight days continually. Sure, they deserve it, but how can our econ- omy stand that expense? Good news/bad news is that with the ELD mandate, eventually, drivers may become hourly. But given the Scan the QR to listen in on a candid conversation from the road with owner-operator Scott Reed, whose Peterbilt is pictured here, about decision-making around the hours rule's 14-hour clock. Alternately, search Reed's name at OverdriveOnline.com to find the Overdrive Radio podcast. The safety flaw of 14 straight hours Todd Dills

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• CAT ON A GREASY FIFTH WHEEL Wendy Parker’s pet feline snaps and nearly ruins her new couches.
• BUSINESS: Uber enters freight-matching market “Uber for trucking,” a descriptor long touted by app-based load-matching services, has taken a literal form now that the ride-sharing giant last month unveiled its Uber Freight app. It’s aimed at the owner-op
• COVER STORY: Path to prosperity Overdrive’s Most Beautiful winner Stephanie Klang spreads the word of how trucking served as her ticket to the good life.
• Where the rubber meets the road A tire might look like a simple component – a round piece of rubber with a tread design – though it’s anything but.
• The crazy quilt of intrastate logging States failing to adopt an e-logging mandate. State hours of service differing from the federal rule. ELDs missing state-specific features. For the intrastate driver required to use e-logs, the change could get compl
• Diversions Re-creation of “Bandit” bridge jump set; Trucker Talent Search winner teams with fellow finalists; a new book from one of Overdrive’s own.
• The safety flaw of 14 straight hours.
• Pulse: Uber’s load plan.
• Bringing apnea experts into the truck.
• Indie truck stops remain popular.
• TSA warns of truck- ramming terrorism.
• Wireless roadside inspections hit brakes.
• Trailer emissions order in question.
• Florida, Texas rank highest for congestion costs.
• Car haulers’ touching tribute to police.
• Rethwisch wins Shell Rotella’s SuperRigs.
• Proffitt racks up Bandit Series wins.
• Custom KW’s interior gets a facelift.
• Reader Rigs: ’07 W900L a desert runner; ’05 9400i flying like an Eagle; ’15 389 has Pride and Class; ’09 389 a quad-axle Pete; ’14 389 has northern exposure; ’16 389 steps across borders.