The word is “consecutive.” The old rule let you log fuel stops, meal times, naps, showers and, most importantly, waiting to be loaded or unloaded as off-duty time. The new one makes on-duty status consecutive, meaning once you start driving, the clock is ticking. No matter how you spend the next 14 hours, you have to stop driving at the end of that time even if you haven’t logged 11 hr. behind the wheel. You’ll have to sit for 10 hr. before you can restart both the driving and on-duty clocks.

The only exception is team drivers, who can break off-duty into two periods as long as the two total 10 hours.

While it may seem like the government is adding another restriction to the way you work, I think you’re actually going to like this change.

First, fatigue researchers say the current 18-hr. cycle forces you to constantly fight your natural body clock, which runs on a 24-hr. cycle. The result is long-haul truck drivers compared to other workers average two hours less sleep a day and are at significantly higher risks for heart disease and stomach problems. The new rule moves you into a more natural and restful 24-hr. cycle.

The real plum in the new on-duty rule, though, is its potential to reduce the one thing all drivers hate—waiting to be loaded or unloaded. Thanks to the consecutive on-duty rule, shippers will soon realize that long waits at the loading dock will actually have a direct, negative effect on delivery times. And on the other end, long detention times by receivers will have a cost that can be measured in lost driving time. That isn’t news to truckers, but the HOS change will finally give the industry some leverage when it comes to making customers face up to that fact.

The way I see it, that one word “consecutive” means better rest and less aggravation, giving you a chance to sleep well and still keep rolling up the miles.