Truck drivers’ compliance with federal hours of service (HOS) rules has likely become easier with electronic logging devices replacing paper logbooks. However, one part of the HOS regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that causes truckers some problems remains. The so-called “split sleeper berth” rule.
For those not familiar, the split sleeper berth rule allows commercial drivers to split their mandatory 10-hour rest breaks into two non-consecutive segments and still reset their substantive time limits. The shorter of the two segments must be at least two hours long. The longer of the two must be at least seven hours long, and the total must equal at least 10 hours combined.
Read the story “What Is the Split Sleeper Berth Rule?” In it, Brandon Wiseman of Trucksafe Consulting examines:
- What does it mean to split your sleeper berth time?
- Who benefits from split sleeper berth time?
- The mechanics of split sleeper berth.
According to Wiseman, “Used correctly, this rule offers some decent flexibility to drivers whose trucks are equipped with a sleeper berth, particularly when it comes to times they are detained at shipper or receiver facilities. But the rule isn’t all that intuitive…” He notes the split sleeper rule allows drivers to use those interim off-duty breaks to their advantage by combining them with longer breaks to achieve the “equivalent of a 10-hour off-duty break” and thereby reset their available hours.
Learn how the split sleeper berth rule can benefit both drivers and truck fleets by offering flexibility in hours-of-service compliance. Read “What Is the Split Sleeper Berth Rule?” on the Trucksafe Consulting website.
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