How To Avoid A 34-Hour Restart
Did you just find out about a 34-hour reset, but you despise its idea? You’ll be glad to know that you are not alone! While most truckers might not be a fan of the 34-hour reset rule from FMCSA’s regulations, it is still essential if you want to continue working. So, what can you do to avoid a 34-hour restart?
The simplest way to avoid a 34-hour reset is to spend no more than eight hours and forty-five minutes ‘on duty’ for an eight-day workweek.
But what if you are already nearing your driving limit and want to avoid the 34-hour reset?
Well, we’ve got this article ready to help you out.
What is a 34-hour Restart, and why must you do it?
The 34-hour restart rule is one of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)’s Hours of Service (HOS) rules to ensure road safety and manage driver health.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) allows drivers to drive 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days under the Hours of Service. It lets drivers sit back and relax after reaching their weekly limits.
- If you are an independent commercial driver, choose whichever suits you better.
- A trucking company will assign you a 7-day or 8-day work week per its rules if you work for an enterprise.
When drivers exhaust all their driving hours before seven or eight days, the FMCSA requires them to rest for 34 hours consecutively before starting their next work week.
Studies show that it takes drivers 34 hours to relax and refuel after a long, tiring week. It gives enough time for the drivers to get rid of the fatigue and hold the steering again for long drives.
Manage Your Driving and Avoid 34-Hour Reset
Tracking your driving hours can help avoid the 34-hour reset rule; knowing how to do it is critical. Follow these strategies and you can not only manage your driving but also avoid the 34-hour reset.
- The most crucial factor is not keeping yourself “on duty” when you are not. Anytime you are not working, log out, to make sure you can make money without taking out precious time from your weekly hours.
- Remember that the 34-hour rule only applies to the 7-day or 8-day window. If you drove for 15 hours on Day 1 and followed an 8-day work routine, you will add back those 15 hours to your allowed hours on Day 9.
- Run personal errands after your working hours to avoid burning your driving limit.
- When working as a team, take turns so one of you only utilizes some of the hours before the others.
How Do You Keep Track of Your 34-Hour Reset?
The FMCSA rules might seem a pain sometimes, but the administration has devised them to help drivers and the public.
Like others, the dot 34-hour reset rule allows drivers to drive safely without burning out.
The FMCSA has made ELD compulsory to facilitate the drivers and companies for easy tracking of working hours. The electronic logging device (ELD) calculates your remaining hours, keeping in check whether you are driving, on duty, resting, or off duty.
- Driving: The driver is on the road, driving.
- On-duty: The driver is working, but non-driving tasks like loading, unloading, or inspecting the truck for any issues.
- Resting: The driver is resting in the sleeper berth.
- Off-duty: The driver logs out and is not on the road.
The ELD makes managing, tracking, and sharing check-in records fast and easy. However, in some states or for truckers not far from their offices, this is done with a timesheet that drivers fill in themselves according to their HOS (hours of service).
Things You Should Know About The 34-Hour Reset
Here are some things to keep you updated about the 34-hour reset and how to avoid it or get the most out of it.
Where can the Drivers Take the 34-hour Reset?
Traveling home can be challenging when you are miles away to drop cargo. But what if we say you do not have to go home for the 34-hour break?
Many drivers think they must head home for their break, but that is not the case. You do not have to travel miles to take a break; you can spend this time anywhere. Go to the hotel bar, throw a ball against the wall, or catch a flick. As long as you aren’t in your truck, your time goes against the reset.
Also, you can take a break every week if you manage your time correctly. Many drivers take a break once two months to rest and recharge – it is up to your heart and needs whenever you need that break!
Is 34-Hour Restart Mandatory?
The best part is that the 34-hour reset rule is not mandatory if you have been watching your hours. Drivers complying with other regulations like the 14-hour rule, 11-hour rule, and 70-hour rule do not have to worry about the dot 34-hour reset – Phew!
Are There Any Exceptions to the Restart Rule?
Yes, you might fit in any other exceptions besides managing your hours adequately to avoid the 34-hour restart rule.
These are the few exceptions to the 34-hour restart rule.
- Drivers moving around a 100-mile radius of their home terminal can track their working hours using a time card instead of an ELD. It exempts them from HOS regulations, and they may not need to restart.
- Moving the trailers from one spot in the yard to another does not count as driving hours. These hours are logged in as on-duty, not affecting the driver’s working hour count.
- The time the driver drives the vehicle for personal use is considered off-duty. Thus, it does not contribute to their weekly working hours.
Why do Truckers Try to Avoid a 34-hour Restart?
Most truckers believe a 34-hour break will hinder their driving time, but it is only partially true. As a commercial driver, your income is already limited to the driving hours, and you cannot drive more than the given driving limit.
A quick look around trucking forums shows that there are plenty of experienced drivers who intentionally use the 34-hour restart. Therefore, instead of avoiding the 34-hour reset, think about managing that time carefully and rest during the week when your heart desires.
Final Verdict: Should You Avoid the 34-hour Restart?
There’s no harm in planning the 34-hour restart into your driving plans. The problem comes when you don’t plan hours carefully and are forced into the restart. So, when the FMCSA allows you to rest after exhausting your weekly hours, why not explore the surroundings, relax in your vehicle, or meet friends and family?
If you have obtained your CDL license and are actively driving large vehicles, the 34-hour break will help you re-energize. Driving hours, and subsequently trucker health, remains a large concern in this industry.
Taking some time off improves your emotional health, especially when you’re on the road throughout the week.
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