Zen Trucking

Every truck driver knows what a log book is. It’s a grid-style graph they use to keep track of the hours spent driving, working, off duty and in the sleeper birth. It is lovingly referred to as the comic book, funny pages, or cheat sheet.

The rules are confusing. They changed near the end of 2005 and the powers that be in Washington (none of whom, I’m sure have ever driven an 18-wheeler) haven’t decided if these changes are the final draft. We used to be able to drive 10 hours before needing an 8 hour break. Now we can drive 11 hours (not straight, of course) but must take a 10 hour break.

To be quite honest, I don’t know all the details of the new rules, but I’m sure if I’m ever involved in a trucking accident, the lawyers will fill me in.

Back when the original rules were first made law, trucking was nothing like it is today. Today, the over-the-road trucks have sleepers that are more like rolling studio apartments than the coffin sleepers from back in the 60s and 70s. Back then, a driver was liable to sleep on a board propped between the driver and passenger seats. The roads were nothing like the super highways we have today. Today, we have satellite radio to pass the time, air ride cabs and air ride seats. We can stop in at the mini-mall truck stop and get a decent shower and a meal. But the big change in the log book rules was 1 extra hour we are allowed to drive, followed by 2 extra hours we have to sit around and twiddle our thumbs.

You have to realize, my commute from “home” to “work” is about 2 feet. I can drive in sweat pants and an undershirt if I want to. I don’t have all the distractions that a normal job may entail. To be honest, most truckers want to get down the road, get it over with and get home. But they are often forced into a situation where they either have to park for a 10-hour break when they are only a few hours from home or lie on their log books.

I personally think log books have nothing to do with safety. They are useful in theory, but, ultimately, you just can’t legislate sleep. Ultimately, safe drivers will pull over when they are tired and unsafe drivers won’t- no matter what their log books say. Ultimately, common sense can’t be gleaned from a sheet of carbon and 2 sheets of paper.

I have been in a number of situations where my log book said I had plenty of hours, but I was just dead tired. I have been in other situations where I felt well-rested and wanted to get down the road but my log book said I had to stop for a few more hours. My most recent struggle is the 14-hour rule. Once I start work for the day, I have to stop 14 hours later unless there is a 10-hour break in there somewhere. So, If I drive for 5 hours, take a nap for 4 hours, eat dinner and get a shower, I only have 3 hours driving time left on the 14-hour clock. So, maybe the rule-makers don’t want me to take a nap.

I have made a 15-minute mistake on my log and been treated like I just drove over the DOT officer’s favorite niece. 15-minutes. I drive safe. I refuse to drive tired. I treat the motoring public like friends- even if they drive without sense. But if there is a mistake in my log, I am a some sort of criminal.

Long haul trucking is a hard job. The lifestyle is rough on the driver. There are good drivers and there are bad drivers, and not one driver will tell you that the log book makes the difference.