Following Distance, Logs, and Harvest Time
Traveling Distance. How many feet are you traveling per second? Unless you can rapidly use a lengthy formula to calculate the number of feet traveled at any given speed, the easiest way to estimate the number of feet per second is to multiply your speed times 1.5. So if you are traveling 60MPH you are traveling roughly 90 feet per second; at 50 MPH you are traveling 75 feet per second; at 40 MPH you are traveling about 60 feet per second. My point is that 2 second distraction while traveling at 60 MPH can cause you to take your eyes off the road in front of you for over one half the length of a football field.
Logs. I’ve finished auditing logs for July. Since this is the 1st month that the new Hours of Service rules became effective, I anticipated a higher than normal number of violations. As expected, most of them involve the 34 hour restart and the 30 minute break requirements. If you choose to use the 34 hour restart you must note your intentions in the remarks block of the log by simply writing “restart”. The 30 minute break must be logged in either the “Sleeper Berth” or “Off Duty”. If you are one of the small numbers of drivers who never venture beyond a 100 mile radius of your domiciled terminal you do not have to take the 30 minute break. This provision was made after the 1 July 13 new HOS rules start date.
Harvest Time. It’s a little early to bring this season up but in the next 3-4 weeks the farmers will be taking off their fall crops in the northern part of the country. With this in mind, the oversized slow moving vehicles will be entering the secondary roads. Be prepared to stop or travel for several miles behind these vehicles. They are not obligated to pull off the road and let traffic around. Be professional and let them do their important job. Harvest time also drives wild animals from their natural habitat and into the roadways. These animals vary in size from small rodents to deer and elk. If you find yourself sharing the road with an animal, DO NOT attempt evasive maneuvers such as panic braking, sudden radical steering, etc. These maneuvers could cause a roll over or other lost control crash. Veteran drivers recommend that you firmly grip the steering wheel, let up on the accelerator, and brace for impact. If you do collide with a large animal, pull over at the earliest safe place and survey the damage. If there is damage contact your dispatcher for instructions for repairs and for them to advise the shipper and consignee for potential delay in route.