HOS.... *#@$%!!!

6/17/2012

Midland 40-Channel Hand-Held CB Radio 75-822
Cobra Mobile CB Radio with Dual Watch C18-WXSTII
Roadlife Publications 788 Truckstop Guide Pocket

I have got to gripe! These Hours of Service rules (HOS) really suck.

I have been operating under these rules for awhile and honestly whatever pencil necks came up with these rules are true idiots, Their purpose was to create a safer environment for all of us and they would have been successful if they hadn't done two things; the 14 hour rule and taking away the 5 hour split sleeper berth.

First let me talk (or complain) about the 14 hour rule. The 14 hour rule says that from the time I start my pretrip to the time I end my day all eleven allowable hours of driving must be completed. So what happens if I have a lousy sleep period and don't get the rest I need, can I pull over and take a nap? Sure, I can, but, my body requires I sleep 4 hours for a nap to be any good otherwise I am more tired than when I laid down. So, if I do need a nap and do lay down, start with 14 minus 4 hours, minus 0.25 for pre-trip, minus a half an hour for fuel, minus a half an hour for a meal, minus a half an hour for time to get ready to sleep and to get woke up and another 0.25 hours for post trip inspection and now I only have 8 hours of drive time. I worked fourteen hours but have only 8 hours worth of pay, so do you think I am going to take a nap? NO WAY!!! I'll drive tired and hope for the best.

Second gripe is the stupid rule concerning the split sleeper berth, the old way of five on and five off worked very well for me since my body only needs a maximum of 6 hours of sleep a day and four hours twice a day is optimal. The old rules allowed for me to get the rest I needed and allowed me to work 15 hours in a twenty four hour period. I am out here on the road to work not sit in a truck stop goofing off cause some idiotic bureaucrat thinks they know it all when they couldn't be as smart as a rock if they tried.

Oh well, it promises to get worse so I guess I'll just grin and bear it.

Version 3 of "So You Want to be a Tuck Driver?", should be available by the end of the week, will post a link here.

Found a really useful site for meal planing and tracking you might want to check out,  https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker/default.aspx

Currently down 163 lbs from top weight In January of last year, blood sugar averaging 104 with no med's and blood pressure down as well, the food plan mentioned in a previous blog really works, try it!