Orlando, Fla.— Many times we have spoken about the shortage of truck drivers in North America, and its potencial consequences. The introduction of autonomous trucks, as example, is one that may change the fabric of an entire industry, including its insurance options — but for now, we want to focus on those who aren’t so concerned about that and have recently joined the force of new commercial truck drivers, many of which are owner-operators of their own business.

When opportunity knocks, you may not know which door is the one to open. A truck driver shortage may mean great opportunities to start your own business, but all opportunities come with challenges, and truck drivers are not the exception.

Any person who just started driving a commercial truck, will face difficulties finding proper insurance options, since most insurance companies may require the driver to have at least 2 years of experience to qualify. An agency like Orlando Truck Insurance, specializes in insurance options for this segment of the market, and as an independent company, can help you find alternatives from different insurance providers to perfectly match your needs.

Among other things that new commercial truck drivers must keep in mind are the DOT regulations, especially those undergoing changes this year like the ELD (Electronic Logging Device,) which is an electronic hardware that is attached to a commercial motor vehicle engine to record driving hours as regulated.

The Hours Of Service (HOS) rules were easy to flout, but they've been more rigorously enforced by electronic-logging devices that became required in every truck driver's cabin. The devices are designed to ensure that truckers don't drive for more than 11 hours a day, that they work a maximum of 14 hours a day, and that they take regular breaks.

 The ELD Rule went into effect last December, but not every fleet had to start using the newly-mandated technology. Fleets that were already using automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRDs) were given a window to make the transition to ELDs.

FACT: Fleets using AOBRDs now have until December 18, 2019, to make the transition to ELDs to remain compliant.

The measures that are part of the proposed change to the HOS rules, according to a FMCSA press release:

• Truckers could use their 30-minute break when they are on duty but not driving — such as if they are waiting at warehouses for a shipment but still technically on duty. Previously, truckers would have to go "off duty." This would "increase safety and flexibility," the agency said.
• Truck drivers would be allowed to split up their 10-hour off-duty time into at least seven consecutive hours in their sleeper berth and two consecutive hours off duty or in their sleeper berth, rather than having a full 10-hour break.
• An off-duty break of 30 minutes to three hours would pause a truck driver's 14-hour driving window, as long as the trucker takes 10 full hours off duty at the end of their shift.
• Under adverse driving conditions, the 14-hour window could be extended by two hours.
• For short-haul truckers, the maximum on-duty period could be extended to 14 hours from 12 and the distance limit to 150 miles from 100.

Hours of service have been a long discussion for the past couple of years, and continues to be a concern for commercial truck drivers, in terms of its consequences to deliver their cargo “on-time”.

To stay attune to how this story continues to develop, follow us as we will keep bringing you up to date changes, or you can also connect to the FMCSA and the DOT.

For questions regarding insurance options or quotes, contact us at (407) 203-7085. 

Hector Perez

Producer

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