We've had several weeks now on the new hours of service rules. We'll have a feature in our August issue about what the impact looks like so far, but it seems that it really depends on what type of operation you're in.

If you're a high-output truckload fleet with drivers out on the road for weeks at a time, or operating a lot at night, it could be a real hit to your productivity. In fact, Noel Perry with FTR Associates said the nominal effect of both changes in the restart provision is to reduce productivity by 14% for affected carriers.

For others, it's not that big a deal. Since relatively few carriers will be affected, the net effect is more like 2.5%, Perry said.

We asked about the impact on our Facebook page and got a variety of responses:

  • I get a 30 min nap every day now
  • The mandatory lunch is preventing me from getting all my deliveries done on my busy days.
  • 30 min break makes harder to plan day but gives me time to actually eat my sandwich while my kitty eats his lunch.
  • Not, we are making it work when we deliver to customers hasn't effected the movers a bit
  • The new reset has caused me to miss routes and lose days of work. About a $1000 so far. It's hard in the food industry. We work at night a lot. I hope it goes back to the way it was
  • 34-hour restarts are lowering our company's income as our cross-country drivers need more time to complete their runs. 30 minute breaks don't have an impact as that time is used to eat lunch
  • Hasn't, I was taking cat naps b4, only need to make sure I log them now
  • No affect for me
  • The 34-hour restart is a killer, considering I primarily drive at night, doing overnight expedited freight.
  • I get to waste 30 minutes every night & get back on the road sleepy. Way to go FMCSA.

What about you? Now that we've got several weeks under our belt, how are you adjusting to the new rules? Please share your experiences and any tips on how to deal with the changes in the comments below.

About the author
Deborah Lockridge

Deborah Lockridge

Editor and Associate Publisher

Reporting on trucking since 1990, Deborah is known for her award-winning magazine editorials and in-depth features on diverse issues, from the driver shortage to maintenance to rapidly changing technology.

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