The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's New Truck Driver Hours of Service Rules : Best Practices for Freight Shippers and Receivers October 2003 Make pickup and delivery times more flexible and consider extending the operating hours of shipping or receiving departments - this will provide drivers with some additional flexibility in meeting the customer's shipping schedule as well as maintaining compliance with the new hours of service rules For shippers, minimize the time a driver spends waiting to be loaded. For receivers, minimize the time a driver spends waiting to be unloaded -this will minimize unproductive driver on-duty time and maximize a driver's driving time within the new 14 consecutive hour rule If there will be a delay in loading or unloading, communicate it to the driver immediately, with as much specificity as possible -this will assist the driver in using his/her sleeper berth effectively to rest and to maximize his/her productive time under the new hours of service rules Minimize the time a driver spends counting, loading, unloading, or overseeing the loading/unloading process - again, this will minimize unproductive driver on-duty time and maximize a driver's driving time within the new 14 consecutive hour rule Proactively communicate with the motor carrier if the status of the load changes - this will assist the carrier in dispatch, operations planning and hours of service compliance For shippers, ensure that the load paperwork is accurate and complete when the driver arrives - this will minimize unproductive on-duty time for the driver Utilize drop trailers and use yard jockeys to handle trailer moves within the facility - this will reduce driver involvement and allow a driver to focus on what he/she gets paid to do safely and efficiently…move the freight from point A to point B Reduce the number of loads with stop-offs, if possible - stop-offs create opportunities for additional delays, which cannot be accommodated well by drivers under the new hours of service rules Provide sufficient space for drivers to park and utilize their sleeper berths for sleep - the new hours of service rules promote greater use of sleeper berth rest periods for some types of drivers. Shippers that provide sufficient space for safe parking will be assisting both driver safety and highway safety. Ensure that the shipping or receiving department managers are familiar with the hours-of-service limits - this will help minimize potential conflicts between shippers and trucking companies related to the new rules