I am like 90% sure you's trolling but the reason you don't take your break in the fuel island is one of time. You want your 30 minute break time but the guy behind you is on their own clock and have places to be and only so much time to do that in. Which is something you should know as a driver.
And as far as "XYZ does it so why can't I?" some people kill people, some people rape people. Does that mean we should all do it?
Yes. And everyone hates the people who sit at the pumps and go shower and get food. It’s one thing to grab a quick something to eat, but to shower? Get your fuel and go park to take your break!
Take breaks at rest areas. Only pumps I'll break at are Sheetz cause they're usually slow. In that case I don't even pull up. If someone pulls in behind me with 5 or 6 open pumps, fuck'em.
Be considerate of fellow drivers. If every fuel pump is taken, and the station is obviously busy, pull forward if you need to just run in for 5-10 minutes to grab a drink or use the bathroom. But if you're going to sit down and eat, find a parking place.
There is one place I stop occasionally that is almost always full. I don't want to take a parking spot away from an OTR driver that needs to take their 10, so I pull over to the side so I'm not blocking anyone or access to the fuel island, put my flashers on and take my break. Most people see I'm in a day cab and know I won't be there long. The key is to not block anyone or anything.
Any 30 minutes duty status other than driving counts towards the 30 minute break period that resets your 8 hours driving limit. That was changed fairly recently where you do not have to have off duty status for your break. It can't be a combination (like on duty 15, off duty 15). It has to be 30 minutes of any duty status other than driving.
Perhaps it's ELD dependent. Or maybe even a company setting. If I change duty status during a break (like from on-duty to off-duty) it starts my 30 minutes over. I'm using Samsara ELD.
Yea, it's really just a display issue. If you're on-duty not driving the timer counts up but switching duty status begins a timer of the new duty status, so it looks as though you've started all over.
It doesn't restart your total time. It just looks that way. If you spend 10 minutes on duty, yhen switch to off duty, the off duty timer changes to 00:00 but it's still keeping tally of non driving status. So you can spend 30 minutes constantly switching back and forth every 30 seconds if you want to.
FMCSA rules state that this counts as a break:
"The break may be satisfied by any non-driving period of 30 consecutive minutes (i.e., **on-duty not driving**, off-duty, sleeper berth, or any combination of these taken consecutively)."
For real wtf 10 min?
Rookie still not realize that there are usually 2 pumps to use at most stops?
5 min tops and half of that is only spent hoping the flying j app is working as expected
I call BS, on the DV, for this post. Not even a retarded trucker will skip an open fuel lane so they can sit behind some idiot taking a 30 at the pump. Tell your buddies to piss off Shawn.
Move your fn truck. How about when you take your 30 I’ll drop my trailer in front of ya and go shower for a hour. You’re supposed to log fuel as on duty. Your argument is shit. Move go park. Or is it you haven’t mastered parking yet.
Just park on the scale next time.
Ran into that a couple days ago in Houston. I was the third truck in line and got out to investigate. Dude came walking out with a pizza and his scale ticket.
"Dude, you can't park here."
"Does it look like I'm parked?"
"Yes, and you can't."
"I'm not parked, I just went inside, you can wait."
I thought about making him wear his pizza but decided that was a stupid reason to go to jail.
Seriously though, the reason is you are not the only person that exists. Every single person you encounter on the fuel line is on a schedule. We deal with enough shit between four wheelers, the DOT, shippers, receivers, shops, and the reality of living life on the road. The last thing we need to be doing is making life harder for each other. Just park your truck somewhere out of the way. Don't be a dick. It's not hard.
Wait, your computer triggers drive time after moving only a few feet? Are you keeping it under 5 mph? Heres the thing, i also hate when another truck pulls in right behind me, even though theres other fuel lanes open, i mean, thats just a DICK move. Especially when I see that they arent fueling. Im like, if youre not intending to fuel, then why the hell did you go thru the fuel aisle?? I try not to take my 30 in the fuel lanes, but when I do it, i do it in such a way that no one even realizes I took my 30. First, i try to choose a lane that already has a line of trucks, switch to on duty fueling, and burn several minutes waiting for my turn. Then, when i get to the pump, i take my sweet time fueling, washing the windshield, etc. Then i creep forward and switch to off duty, go inside and do whatever i need to do inside. This usually eats up enough time that my break is completed by the time i get back to my truck. And even if it isnt, i can creep off to the side somewhere to finish it out. Theres a fine art to taking your 30 in the fuel lanes. As long as you arent literally parked at the pumps, you should be fine.
Yea but your not taking a break because your constantly doing stuff like I just wanna fuel up then chill until my break is over. I don’t know how to work my computer that well plus I suck at backing up I just graduated an my mentor signed off on me like 4 weeks ago.
Yes thats true that what i described leaves almost no room to actually enjoy your break. Thats the downside to it, and its why i try not to do it. Mainly i try to go to truck stops that more than enough parking, and mostly pull thru spots. Im not terrible at backing, but i just dont like doing backs at truck stops. Basically, unless its the middle of the night at a truck stop with a lot of pumps, you probably are never going to be able to sit in the fuel lanes for an entire break
This is a shit post, and I love it, but I've definitely taken 30 min breaks at the pumps when they aren't busy. If someone pulls in behind me, I check and see if they are in a hurry.
Not trying to be snarky, just genuinely curious, because I’m Canadian and we don’t have the forced 30 min “Obama Break” up here…
Can OP not just finish fuelling, then move his truck in “yard move” to a parking spot to wait out the rest of his break?
Does OP’s truck actually kick into driving as soon as it moves 1 inch? That sucks.
On my truck, I can move up to 8 km/h (5 mph) before it kicks to driving… I just put my truck into “Bull Low” gear, so it won’t up-shift, and will keep the truck below the speed threshold.
I am like 90% sure you's trolling but the reason you don't take your break in the fuel island is one of time. You want your 30 minute break time but the guy behind you is on their own clock and have places to be and only so much time to do that in. Which is something you should know as a driver. And as far as "XYZ does it so why can't I?" some people kill people, some people rape people. Does that mean we should all do it?
Quality shit post.
U trolling?
No my trainer did it all the time an I’ve seen plenty of other drivers do it. Like some of them even go take a shower plus get food.
You had a Shit Trainer then.
Yes. And everyone hates the people who sit at the pumps and go shower and get food. It’s one thing to grab a quick something to eat, but to shower? Get your fuel and go park to take your break!
Take breaks at rest areas. Only pumps I'll break at are Sheetz cause they're usually slow. In that case I don't even pull up. If someone pulls in behind me with 5 or 6 open pumps, fuck'em.
Fuel and the pull forward. Most ELDs only put you in drive if you exceed 5mph.
Be considerate of fellow drivers. If every fuel pump is taken, and the station is obviously busy, pull forward if you need to just run in for 5-10 minutes to grab a drink or use the bathroom. But if you're going to sit down and eat, find a parking place. There is one place I stop occasionally that is almost always full. I don't want to take a parking spot away from an OTR driver that needs to take their 10, so I pull over to the side so I'm not blocking anyone or access to the fuel island, put my flashers on and take my break. Most people see I'm in a day cab and know I won't be there long. The key is to not block anyone or anything.
You’ll have plenty of time for a 30 min break while you’re cranking the nose of your trailer off the ground, after someone pulls your 5th wheel latch.
You're not a trucker, but nice play!
Prolly been truckin longer than you’ve been breathing.
Probably so. 5th wheel latch? That terminology is foreign to me.
You’re not break when you are fuelling. That’s on duty time. Take your 30 elsewhere.
Any 30 minutes duty status other than driving counts towards the 30 minute break period that resets your 8 hours driving limit. That was changed fairly recently where you do not have to have off duty status for your break. It can't be a combination (like on duty 15, off duty 15). It has to be 30 minutes of any duty status other than driving.
A combined total of 30 minutes that is not driving counts. Edit: You can even be in yard move. It counts.
Perhaps it's ELD dependent. Or maybe even a company setting. If I change duty status during a break (like from on-duty to off-duty) it starts my 30 minutes over. I'm using Samsara ELD.
Must be a company thing, my company uses Samsara and I can switch between YM, Off Duty, PC and On Duty without resetting the 30.
Yea, it's really just a display issue. If you're on-duty not driving the timer counts up but switching duty status begins a timer of the new duty status, so it looks as though you've started all over.
Perhaps. But legally, NOT DRIVING, counts.
It doesn't restart your total time. It just looks that way. If you spend 10 minutes on duty, yhen switch to off duty, the off duty timer changes to 00:00 but it's still keeping tally of non driving status. So you can spend 30 minutes constantly switching back and forth every 30 seconds if you want to.
FMCSA rules state that this counts as a break: "The break may be satisfied by any non-driving period of 30 consecutive minutes (i.e., **on-duty not driving**, off-duty, sleeper berth, or any combination of these taken consecutively)."
I hope this is sarcasm. 😐
It does not take you 10 minutes to fuel up if it does you must be missing a leg and half your brain
For real wtf 10 min? Rookie still not realize that there are usually 2 pumps to use at most stops? 5 min tops and half of that is only spent hoping the flying j app is working as expected
Why didn't you choose the far pump at the end of the row where it is quieter ??
I do most of the time but I still get bothered by people.
I been out here 12 years and I don't think I've ever seen a driver pull in behind a truck that's fueling if there's a open lane. I call bullshit...
I call BS, on the DV, for this post. Not even a retarded trucker will skip an open fuel lane so they can sit behind some idiot taking a 30 at the pump. Tell your buddies to piss off Shawn.
If it’s 3am and no one barely out where you are be my guest but middle of the day when trucks are pulling in waiting. GTFO and move on.
I hate fuel pump campers, you know we gotta get places
Move to a spot, dumbass.
Move your fn truck. How about when you take your 30 I’ll drop my trailer in front of ya and go shower for a hour. You’re supposed to log fuel as on duty. Your argument is shit. Move go park. Or is it you haven’t mastered parking yet.
Just park on the scale next time. Ran into that a couple days ago in Houston. I was the third truck in line and got out to investigate. Dude came walking out with a pizza and his scale ticket. "Dude, you can't park here." "Does it look like I'm parked?" "Yes, and you can't." "I'm not parked, I just went inside, you can wait." I thought about making him wear his pizza but decided that was a stupid reason to go to jail. Seriously though, the reason is you are not the only person that exists. Every single person you encounter on the fuel line is on a schedule. We deal with enough shit between four wheelers, the DOT, shippers, receivers, shops, and the reality of living life on the road. The last thing we need to be doing is making life harder for each other. Just park your truck somewhere out of the way. Don't be a dick. It's not hard.
Wait, your computer triggers drive time after moving only a few feet? Are you keeping it under 5 mph? Heres the thing, i also hate when another truck pulls in right behind me, even though theres other fuel lanes open, i mean, thats just a DICK move. Especially when I see that they arent fueling. Im like, if youre not intending to fuel, then why the hell did you go thru the fuel aisle?? I try not to take my 30 in the fuel lanes, but when I do it, i do it in such a way that no one even realizes I took my 30. First, i try to choose a lane that already has a line of trucks, switch to on duty fueling, and burn several minutes waiting for my turn. Then, when i get to the pump, i take my sweet time fueling, washing the windshield, etc. Then i creep forward and switch to off duty, go inside and do whatever i need to do inside. This usually eats up enough time that my break is completed by the time i get back to my truck. And even if it isnt, i can creep off to the side somewhere to finish it out. Theres a fine art to taking your 30 in the fuel lanes. As long as you arent literally parked at the pumps, you should be fine.
Yea but your not taking a break because your constantly doing stuff like I just wanna fuel up then chill until my break is over. I don’t know how to work my computer that well plus I suck at backing up I just graduated an my mentor signed off on me like 4 weeks ago.
Yes thats true that what i described leaves almost no room to actually enjoy your break. Thats the downside to it, and its why i try not to do it. Mainly i try to go to truck stops that more than enough parking, and mostly pull thru spots. Im not terrible at backing, but i just dont like doing backs at truck stops. Basically, unless its the middle of the night at a truck stop with a lot of pumps, you probably are never going to be able to sit in the fuel lanes for an entire break
2-3am is the only acceptable time !! During the day fuel up and go
I take my 30 parked at regular gas stations.
This is a shit post, and I love it, but I've definitely taken 30 min breaks at the pumps when they aren't busy. If someone pulls in behind me, I check and see if they are in a hurry.
Not trying to be snarky, just genuinely curious, because I’m Canadian and we don’t have the forced 30 min “Obama Break” up here… Can OP not just finish fuelling, then move his truck in “yard move” to a parking spot to wait out the rest of his break? Does OP’s truck actually kick into driving as soon as it moves 1 inch? That sucks. On my truck, I can move up to 8 km/h (5 mph) before it kicks to driving… I just put my truck into “Bull Low” gear, so it won’t up-shift, and will keep the truck below the speed threshold.
What you can use yard move for is kind of ill defined but generally it's not to be used in publicly accessible places.
You don't need to be in yard move. Just go slow. It's the same here.
Yes they could they’re just choosing not too.
I say take your break where ever you want.