realism

macmclachlan865
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realism

#1 Post by macmclachlan865 » 25 Sep 2021 17:30

How about in large truck stops park and get 3 opitions:

1. Eating - 1 hr

2 eating and shower - 2 hours

3 rest - 10 hrs.
rookie31st
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Re: realism

#2 Post by rookie31st » 25 Sep 2021 17:50

I'm sorry but it's not going to happen. We have countless great suggestions for improving fatigue/rest mechanics but it doesn't look like SCS Software even discussing any changes in this direction.
We still have sleepers as a purely cosmetic item not different from a day-cab in terms of resting abilities. We don't have DOT 30-Minute Driving Break or other Hours of Service regulations implemented.
Most players are not interested, so SCS Software doesn't improve anything in this regard.
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jarryed
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Re: realism

#3 Post by jarryed » 25 Sep 2021 22:09

@rookie31st

And how do you know that SCS is not discussing any changes? Do you have insider info that no one else knows about?

Any discussion by SCS is internal and nothing that we would ever know about.
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rookie31st
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Re: realism

#4 Post by rookie31st » 26 Sep 2021 00:13

They are not discussing these changes with the public is what I meant. They barely ever mention this topic during the streams and interviews.
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bobgrey1997
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Re: realism

#5 Post by bobgrey1997 » 26 Sep 2021 00:51

If we have these options, rest wouldn't take 10 hours.
According to the Department of Transportation, drivers are required to take 10 hours off-duty each day (or they can split it to a minimum of 2 hours off-duty along with a minimum of 7 hours in sleeper, but the two much add up to 10 hours, so the remaining hour can be split between the two in any way).
I only expect to see the 10 hour in-game as the plit laws are rather complicated, and beyond what this game is really about.
As for the 10-hour rest break, this does not mean you are sleeping the entire time. This is the time the driver takes their showers, eats dinner, and takes some personal time before going to bed. All of this is done in the same 10 hours.
The way you propose, we would eat and shower for 2 hours BEFORE taking the 10 hour rest break. This, in reality, would be logged as a 12 hour off-duty period.
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Re: realism

#6 Post by rookie31st » 26 Sep 2021 02:36

While 10 hours off-duty is correct, it's not exactly how hours of services regulations work. DOT puts emphasis on DRIVING, not resting.

Currently, the game lets us drive for 14 hours with 10-hour rests (with no ability to split off-duty time). This may violate DOT regulations that prohibit driving for more than 11 hours during maximum 14-hour shift, and drivers must take 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving if no break was taken. Existing in-game schedule also violates weekly limit of 70 hours on duty in 8 days when working every day - we reach 70 on-duty hours in 5 days with 14-hour shifts.

Since the game recognizes player's location (road, company property, rest zone etc), it shouldn't be hard to implement optional DOT HOS enforcement by counting hours toward certain category within the electronic logbook, and displaying warning about upcoming required rest. It would really refresh and elevate the gameplay for hardcore players.
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bobgrey1997
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Re: realism

#7 Post by bobgrey1997 » 26 Sep 2021 02:44

I do hope to see much more detail in hours of service, truck stops, and vehicle maintenance. I don't think we will ever see any of it, though. SCS is too focused on maps, cargo, paint, and World of Trucks events, aiming at a casual arcade playerbase rather than hardcore simulator players.

In reality, I can easily turn a routine fuel stop into my half-hour break by simply buying some drinks and food (mostly because the fueling process is unnecessarily complicated). There is so much detail the game is simply missing out on. The potential is endless.
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Re: realism

#8 Post by rookie31st » 26 Sep 2021 03:27

Absolutely, 30-minute breaks are easy to achieve by doing simple refueling stop. Or sightseeing stop. Loading/unloading time will also count, if you use own trailer.

HOS implementation is not at all complicated. It just needs some effort from SCS Software, but sadly they don't seem to consider it more important than plush toys in the berth
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bobgrey1997
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Re: realism

#9 Post by bobgrey1997 » 26 Sep 2021 04:48

Even on drop and hook loads (not owned trailers), the yard move time and such counts toward the break. This where my breaks usually take place in reality, usually at the Minnesota Costco distribution (I am there almost every day), as the lot is huge, and they've got an on-site scale, so I usually spend upwards of an hour there between loads, and it counts towards my break.
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Re: realism

#10 Post by rookie31st » 26 Sep 2021 17:10

That's true, FMCSA's guidance from 2020 specifically says that yard moves are on-duty (not driving) time. So technically, the game could count all time spent within any company prefabs as on-duty (not driving)
It is certainly a good discussion but unfortunately pointless. SCS Software won't code electronic logbooks. It is not interested because the idea is not popular enough, sadly.
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