OTTAWA, Ont. – Randy Cork, of International Horse Transport, recently called Truck News to point out the eight-hour consecutive bunk time provision contained in the new Hours-of-Service (H-o-S) proposal, would play havoc with the team operations particularly common among livestock haulers.

“If the drivers have to spend eight hours straight behind the wheel while the other member of the team rests it would be awfully hard on them,” says the Ontario-based businessman. “Especially going through Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario, the roads are so rough would eight hours in a row in the sleeper of a moving truck really be that restful?”

We double-checked the proposed regulations and while the H-o-S changes would modify some team operations slightly, not to worry folks, the CCMTA has included a special provision just for you.

Members of driving teams will be allowed to split the mandatory off-duty time in two. They must take sack-time minimally in four-hour segments, which will mean a slight wrinkle if you’re used to working in three-hour shifts.

But, off-duty time must be spent in the sleeper, the passenger seat technically speaking doesn’t count.

Additionally, while truckers driving solo would be permitted to defer two hours of the mandatory off-duty time to the following day – as long as the two-day total of rest equals 20 hours – this is not permitted in a team operation.

By the way, when making up deferred hours, a solo driver must add them to the solid stretch of off-duty time to help eliminate any built up sleep debt.

What this means is if you only take eight hours off on Monday, on Tuesday you’re required to break for 10 straight hours in addition to the other 120 minutes you’ll also spend stopped along the way.

By the way, around Sept. 20 the nation’s transport ministers and the CCMTA were to meet in Winnipeg to discuss the hours proposal. Unfortunately this fell slightly after Truck News’ deadline for this issue. Watch in November for the latest update. n