Considering the perspective of these professional drivers, and showing mutual respect, can result in safer travels for all.
By Cathy Good, F284404
January 2023
We’ve all had those moments — a car or a pickup truck cuts in front of us and then abruptly slows down. The contents of our cabinets instantly rearrange as we execute a hard brake. Don’t they know that a 45,000-pound RV cannot stop as quickly as a 5,000-pound car or pickup? Or, they take the RV parking spots at area attractions and parks. Surely they understand that we need those long spots. They can easily park elsewhere and should leave the RV parking for its intended use — RVs.
Well, guess what? We, as RVers, are guilty of doing things that annoy the pilots of even bigger rigs, the professionals who drive commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), to the point that some of them likely wish we also were required to have a commercial drivers license (CDL).
Let’s take a quick look from their perspective:
“I am a professional. I have special training and licensing and perhaps certifications for my CDL. I have invested time, energy, and money for the right to drive this commercial motor vehicle.
I am working. I respect you may not be, but please respect that I’m on the road to earn a living. I always act with a sense of urgency.
Trucking is a low-margin business. As such, efficiency is critical. Please don’t slow me down.
Most of us are paid by the mile. Anything that impacts my efficiency of operations as I work within the hours-of-service (HOS) confines negatively impacts my profitability.”
And speaking of HOS confines, operators of commercial motor vehicles must abide by the following four rules or risk penalties. These are the regulations for property-carrying drivers. Passenger-carrying drivers have different limits, and there are exceptions for specific situations such as adverse driving conditions.
1) 30-Minute Break Rule: Truckers must take a 30-minute break from driving at least once every eight hours. Truck drivers may spend these 30 minutes on duty as long as they are not driving.
Even with taking 30-minute breaks, they are still subject to…
2) 11-Hour Rule: Within a 14-hour period, truckers can drive for no more than 11 hours after a total of 10 consecutive hours off duty.
3) 14-Hour Rule: Truckers are prohibited from driving after the 14th consecutive hour from the time they started duty. This means that on the 15th hour, they are required to go off duty for at least 10 consecutive hours.
4) 60/70-Hour Rule: No trucker can drive for more than 60 hours in seven consecutive days or 70 hours in eight consecutive days. The time restarts only once the truck driver has spent a minimum of 34 consecutive hours off duty.
If law enforcement discovers that a truck driver is in violation of HOS rules, they will have reason to shut down a truck for 10 or 34 hours — whichever amount of time the HOS rules require — and fine the driver or their employer. This fine could be as much as $16,000 or, if hazardous freight is involved, more than $75,000. In addition, a truck driver may have their compliance, safety, and accountability (CSA) score or their employer’s safety rating reduced.
Given the above regulations, a major pet peeve for truckers is rest areas filled with RVs staying overnight with their slideouts extended. Truckers do not have as many options regarding places to park — e.g., campgrounds, streets, and most parking lots simply are not available to them. Often, they are pulling into a rest area because they need to stop in order to be in compliance with the HOS rules. If the lot is full and they must pull on through and continue driving, not only is it a safety issue for them to be driving when they are tired, but they also risk violations with financial consequences. And they do support these facilities, likely to a much greater degree than do RVers — truckers may travel 100,000 miles per year and therefore pay a lot, relatively speaking, in road (fuel) tax. So, please do not camp in the rest areas.
A few other pointers for RVers:
- Yes, you can use truck pumps at fuel stops. Fill up and then move out of the way. Don’t block the pumps longer than necessary.
- Turn off your high-beam headlights when you are behind a truck (or any vehicle, for that matter) at night.
- When passed by a truck, signal with headlights when they are clear and it’s safe for their vehicle to re-enter the lane.
- When passing a truck, get on with it. You may need to help out the cruise control to complete the pass and clear the lane. Pass; don’t pace.
- It’s not a good idea to pass on the right. If a trucker is in the left lane, there’s a reason.
And remember, 80,000 pounds cannot be stopped as fast as 45,000 pounds.
This article previously appeared in Travelore, the official publication of the Diesel RV Club, an FMCA chapter. Sources included the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and chapter member Ernie Langston of Compliance Assurance Services, a company that helps motor carriers comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations monitored by the Department of Transportation.
To Learn More
For additional information and safety tips for sharing the road with truck drivers, visit www.trucking.org/share-road or www.sharetheroadsafely.gov.