How Daylight Savings Time in Minnesota Affects Trucking and Logistics

Daylight savings time affects everyone, but the impacts of this change in time can have an especially big impact on truck drivers. Truck drivers have to deal with changes to their sleep schedule, shifting safety conditions on the road and scheduling changes for their work during this time of year. Understanding a little bit more about the ways that daylight savings time in Minnesota affects trucking and logistics can help you be more prepared to adapt to these changes as a driver.

How does daylight savings time affect truck drivers?

There are several different ways in which daylight savings time in Minnesota can impact truck drivers. One of the most important factors to consider is the use of electronic logging devices. Electronic logging devices track driver schedules and shifts to ensure that drivers stay on track and meet legal requirements for their breaks. Lots of drivers worry that daylight savings time will affect the length of their shift or their breaks, but daylight savings shouldn’t alter the actual amount of time you spend on the job.
In many cases, electronic logging devices handle daylight savings calculations automatically to ensure that drivers are compensated for the actual number of hours that they spend working and that they are taking sufficient breaks in between their shifts. Daylight savings time begins on the second Sunday in March at 2:00 a.m. At that time, clocks spring forward one hour. If a trucker has a shift on that Sunday from 1:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., their electronic logging device will show that they’ve worked 8 hours because they gained an hour during that shift.

In addition to the ways that daylight savings can affect trucking shifts, it’s also important to consider some other factors that come into play during this time of the year. Anything that impacts a driver’s sleep schedule has the potential to contribute to fatigue and, in turn, greater risk on the road. Even if a truck driver adjusts well to daylight savings time, other drivers on the road might not, and they can pose an increased risk of accidents when you’re driving.

To prevent danger on the road during daylight savings time in Minnesota, it’s essential to plan ahead. Consider how your shift and break will be affected by daylight savings time, and make sure you get as much rest as possible the night before. The better rested you are, the more alert you will be on the road and the less likely you will be to get into an accident.

Learn more about trucking and daylight savings time in Minnesota

If you need more tips for adjusting to daylight savings time in Minnesota, feel free to reach out to K-Way Express, Inc. We are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our drivers every day of the year. We are a second-generation business, and we’ve been dedicated to the quality of our services and the safety of our drivers ever since our founding in 1949. You can find out more about the shipping, trucking and logistics services that we provide and learn about how you can become one of our drivers by contacting us today.