Legal hour requirements for commercial truck driving have an impact on your supply chain efficiency. Cost, safety, and productivity depend heavily on these regulations. Therefore, it's important to work with carriers and logistics providers who are knowledgeable about the differences that exist in each country where your routes are located. Here are some ways that the driving requirements differ between Mexico and the US.
Legal hour requirements for commercial truck driving have an impact on your supply chain efficiency. Cost, safety, and productivity depend heavily on these regulations. Therefore, it's important to work with carriers and logistics providers who are knowledgeable about the differences that exist in each country where your routes are located. Here are some ways that the driving requirements differ between Mexico and the US.
US Driving Hour Regulations
Based on the United States’ Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulations, property-carrying truck drivers may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Those 11 hours of driving may only occur during a period of 14 consecutive hours. Drivers may not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty.
A long-haul driver may not drive for more than 8 hours without becoming off-duty or taking a sleeper berth period of at least 30 minutes.
A driver may not drive for any period after having been on duty for 60 hours in any period of 7 consecutive days or 70 hours in any period of 8 consecutive days. He or she may restart a 7 or 8 consecutive day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty.
Mexico Driving Hour Regulations
If operating in Mexico, drivers should take note of the different hours of service for a commercial truck that went into effect in August 2018.
Drivers may drive a maximum of 14 hours in a 24-hour period. After 14 hours of service, drivers are required to take an 8 hour break. After 5 consecutive hours of driving, a 30-minute break is required. Drivers are also required to carry with them an electronic or paper driving log book.
The hours of service regulations aim to promote the safety and well being of the truck drivers as well as to increase the safety on the road. Knowing these regulations can help carriers and logistics providers plan the most efficient routes and use their resources to their fullest capabilities.
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&ty=HTML&h=L&mc=true&=PART&n=pt49.5.395#se49.5.395_12
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations
Diario Oficial de la Federación: https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5529381&fecha=28/06/2018
