What do you think about the proposed changes to H-o-S?

by John Curran

NAPANEE, Ont. – With the federal transport committee overwhelmingly approving the proposed changes to the Hours-of-Service (H-o-S) rules, truckers may soon find themselves in a 14/10 world.

Scientifically speaking there are some definite advantages. Fewer total hours on duty coupled with longer rest periods should equal less fatigue on the highways.

The body’s natural sleep cycles – circadian rhythms – mean working with a 24-hour clock is a must if you are ever going to get a good night’s sleep.

While the proposal won’t become law until it’s rubber stamped by the provinces, Truck News decided to head to the Flying J truck stop in Napanee, Ont., to find out what truckers think of the future rules.

Daniel Deselets thinks a little more time behind the wheel will be a good thing for productivity across the country. But he wonders if truckers really will be driving longer, or if the new regs will just make those who used to fudge their logs a little more legal than before.

“It’s very hard to compete with drivers who have two or even three log books with them,” says the O/O of Gestion Denis Daniel.

Deselets and his 2000 Eagle were on their way from his home base of Montreal hauling a container when he stopped to rest at the Flying J.

“It’s a knife with two edges,” he says. “You want to be legal but…” you have to make a living.

MacKinnon owner/op John Molar and his 2000 Freightliner Classic were just about to hit the road after a few hours in the Eastern Ontario parking lot.

“The new rules won’t impact me a whole lot,” he says. “I run stateside most of the time so you can only drive for 10 hours.”

He questions why H-o-S even exists in the first place.

A company driver with LWK out of St. Philippe, Que., Louis Vallee is another trucker waiting for the U.S. to reform its regs before he gets too excited about any changes.

“It doesn’t make a difference to me,” he says adding that another three hours of driving in the U.S. would be very welcome.

Trimac O/O Gaetan Belanger says, “more hours are always a pain.”

Instead, the owner of a 1999 International Eagle prefers the regime to the south of Canada.

“We should be like the U.S. with only 10 hours,” states the Montreal-area businessman. “And that includes weights too – we pay taxes for roads and we destroy them.”

Working team with his wife, Johanne Larose, Farnham, Que.-based Luc Dumesnil insists the rules really won’t change a team operation.

“We’re always moving anyway,” says Dion’s driver of a 2002 International. “If I was single then maybe 13 hours would be good.”


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