(ELD)
I was going to deliver my Waco, TX. to Plant City, FLA. load this Friday morning. A round trip that had us delivering in Plant City last Monday morning. Then onward to pick up in Macon, GA. Monday afternoon, Delivery and Pick up in Waco, TX. On Wed, Then back home to Lake City, FLA (Thurs.) That was over 2500 miles / 4023 km. In four days.
Two of these trips back to back, with fuel stops, pre-trips and such uses up nearly all of our available E.lectronic L.ogging D.evice hours of service.
(Last violation - 2011)
Photo above of last time I was pulled over by police in 2011. I took the police officer to court, won the case and kept the bullshit violation off of my spotless driving record.
The officer had pulled me over for the "Move over law" that had just recently taken effect earlier in 2011. A safety violation that has 3 points and is considered by some as reckless driving. The officer had a car pulled over a mile before the spot where this photo was taken. I came around a corner where the officer had the car pulled to the side of the road. Another truck was on my left. And when I slowed to move over behind that truck it slowed also. The Georgia law states Move Over or Slow Down. I did what the law stated. The officer stated on the violation that I had attempted to move over. I asked the officer why He would write a ticket knowing that I had tried and could not move over. He snapped back at me...
"You should have tried harder!"
Asshole...
No Name Change Needed.!!
Yep... You can rename the community 
I could have made the delivery this Friday morning 4 hours south of here. But I would have been empty with less than an hour left on the electronic babysitter clock.
The 70 hours in 8 days FMC$A hours of service rule is a big and expensive out of service violation. It does very little if anything for "$afety!"
Like any big government regulation, it is about control and $$ profit.
A driver who is well rested, then has to sit for hours waiting on these horrible, one size fits all rules. Only to be forced to drive after midnight, during rush hours, bad weather, etc. Any truck driver can tell you that there is very little about these rules that is $afe. All sitting like that does is makes one tired and that is unsafe.
Most likely the company I have been leased to for over 25 years would cancel my contract for that violation.
Once a driver comes up against this rule. There are two options. Wait until midnight if you have hours coming available for the next day. Or sit for 34 hours to reset that 70 hour clock to zero.
I would have had to sit till midnight in Plant City, FLA. At midnight the hours I used 8 days ago would rotate back to me.
(The Ol' KayDubbya)
If I had a dollar for every hour and every time these horrible hours of service rules have put me into unsafe situations, I would be a very rich man, as it is pretty much a daily occurance.
