Truck drivers cover insane distances per day to pick up and deliver freight all over the country. It’s what keeps the machine of the United States’ economy running smoothly. When you go to the grocery store to pick up supplies or get a new shoe from your favorite brand, somebody somewhere traveled alone for hours in his/her truck to get those things to you. The sacrifice of truckers is lost to most people who are not familiar with the industry, but it’s hard to appreciate something you are not aware of. In this post, we talk about the grueling shifts truckers endure every day to ensure you never run out of essential supplies.
Sohow far do truckers drive in a day? Truckers are required to drive a maximumof 11 hours per day, according to the Hours of Service regulations of theFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. All things equal, a trucker willdrive about 55 to 60 miles per hour. At the end of the 11-hour driving shift,this amounts to 605 to 650 miles per day. However, weather, traffic, policecheckpoints, and the peculiarities of each route may affect a driver’s mileage.
Truck drivers arerequired under law to work for a maximum of 14-hours per day. They must spendthe remaining 10 consecutive hours off work. However, looking for a safeparking space, loading and unloading, eating, shower time and othermiscellaneous activities may reduce sleep time to only 4-5 hours. Below is acomprehensive breakdown of truckers’ Hours of Service.
The 14-Hour Driving Window
While this limit is notbased on a 24-hour period, it is the time a driver can actually work in a day.Once a driver has been off duty for 10 consecutive hours, the law allowshim/her to work for the next14consecutive hours. In those 14hours, drivers can spendonly 11 hoursdriving. Regardless of whetheryou took time off during your 14-consecutive hour duty period, you must stopdriving when you clock 11 hours on the wheels.
Truckers of old used tohave two paper logs. One log was the real one, andthe other was a fakethey showed law enforcement. Truckers do this to move as fast as they could soto increase home time and make more money. Nowadays, electronic logs count themiles and there is no way you can trick or tweak the system.
To avoid being strandedinno-man’s-land, truckers have to plan their journey to cover enoughground each day and still have time to get a safe parking spot at truck stops.
The 11-Hour Driving Limit
According to the FederalMotor Carrier Safety Administration, a driver may drive only 11 hours duringthe14-consecutive-hour dutyperiod. However, the regulationdoes not stop there. If you have spent over 8 hours after your last off-dutyora minimumof 30 minutes sleeper berth period, you are notpermitted to drive. When your 11-hour driving period is complete, you have tostop driving. The remaining 3 hours of your 14-consecutive-hour duty period maybe used to do whatever you like, but it will most likely be used for work.
30-Minute Break
As said above, driversare expected to take at least a 30 minutes break during the 14-consecutive-hourduty period. This can be taken after 8 consecutive hours on duty. It can alsobe taken after 3 hours on duty. The 30 minute break can be for sleep, eating,shower, or any other activity the trucker wants to spend the time on beforecontinuing the journey.
When Can Truckers Drive For More Than 11Hours?
A lot of circumstancescan force truckers to drive for over 11 hours in one shift including
- If the truck driverhas to slow down because of traffic, the law allows the trucker to completewhat was lost and report it in the log. This will not amount to an offense andthe driver and the company won’t be penalized.
- : An accident may preventa trucker from completing the journey on schedule.
- : In thissituation, the driver may need to tow the truck, forcing him/her to move slowerthan the normal speed the truck needs to cover enough ground. If a truck ishauling a perishable cargo, it becomes even more expedient to continue thejourney to avoid losses for all parties.
- : For safety reasons,truck drivers need to slow down during adverse weather, and this reduces theirmileage. To cover up for lost time, they can drive for over 11 hours.
Weekly Limit
The FMCSA also stipulatesa weekly limit for truckers called the60/70-Hour duty limit.This limit is actually based on a 7-day or 8-day period according to the timespecified by carriers as their start period.
According to this limit,truckers cannot be on duty for over 60 hours in a 7-day period or 70 hours inan 8-day period. The implication is that a trucker can only complete 60 hourson duty for 7 consecutive days and 70 hours on duty for 8 consecutive days.
Once you clock 60 or 70hours, you must take 34 consecutive hours off duty before you can drive acommercial vehicle. This off duty period is calledthe 34-hour restart asit allows you to set the duty period to zero for a new calculation. However,during the restart period, truckers can engage in non-driving tasks such aspaperwork, loading and unloading freight among others.
Note than the 34-hourrestart is not mandatory but most companies enforce it to reduce fatigue amongtruckers.
How Much Time Do Truckers Spend on theRoad?
This also depends on thetruck driving job. OTR drivers spend the longest time on the road. Most OTRtruckers spend over 300 days on duty, reducing their home time and causing alot of pain for their families.
Local truckers get to gohome everynightalthough they may have little time forthefamily. However, it is possible to do night shifts so you can spend your dayswith your loved ones as a local truck driver. Regional and line haul truckersalso enjoy more home time with many drivers spending the weekend at home.
The main reason peoplechoose OTR is because it pays more and offers an opportunity to see thecountry. But a trucker’s life is one of solitude. If you are not a fan ofloneliness, it may not be the best job for you.
How Many Hours Does theAveragePerson Drivein a Week?
Most people take pride intheir cars, but only afew gettheir money’s worth out of theseexpensive automobiles. Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation showsthat the average American driver drives for 13,474 miles per year. This comesto a little over 1,000 miles each month and about 250 miles per week. However,most truckers cover an average of 2500 miles per week, 10 times what theaverage car-driving American puts on the odometer.
Industry statistics showthat men drive more miles than women. Also, the data show that American driversare getting older. Teenagers are finding it more difficult to get their licensebefore age 19, and the growing teenage unemployment makes driving expensive.
The same problem isafflicting the trucking industry. Young drivers find the hectic life oftruckers difficult in the age of social media. The more experienced olderdrivers are few and in high demand.
The irony of thesituation is that average drivers who almost never drive over 14,000 miles eachyear are unappreciative of truckers who live their lives on the road so othersdon’t have to drive the long distances.
How Many Miles Can a Team Drive in OneDay?
It is possible for teamdrivers to cover 1000 miles or more per day. There are team drivers who drive5000 to 6000 miles per week, but this is not consistent in most cases. A lot ofvariables can reduce your progress. Teams can cover 1.5 the amount of distancea solo driver can put on the vehicle in a day. But loading and unloading, pitstops, traffic, city driving, adverse weather and other factors may slow youdown.
Many people, especiallypartners consider team driving as a viable option to eliminate loneliness, getbetter pay and make more home time. But these potential benefits depend on howfast your team can complete its runs. While the aim of a driving team is tokeep the truck on the road constantly, this is almost impossible.
Some drivers will neverbe involved in team driving because they believe it slows them down. And thismay be true as one driver gets more mileage than the other in a team. However,being a team driver allows you to complete your runs faster, complete moremiles, and get higher pay. Plus, you get more home time too.
