has anyone heard of this regulation? or is this true?

Exactly. You've got to know the rules of the game before you can bend 'em in your favor. Ask somebody else what the rules say, and you'll be likely to get a loose interpretation that works to their favor (if you're lucky) or they'll tell you what they remember some guy who sounded like he knew what he was talking about (he heard it from a guy who got it from his company's safety guy during their last audit) had to say about it. Problem is, unless you read the rules for yourself you will never really know what's in there. That takes initiative, though...much easier to be clueless.

 

I have heard this same thing for years, but have never found anything like it in the regs.

A CMV may not be driven until the driver is satisfied that a whole list of items are in good working order (see 392.7, 392.8, 392.95 for all items to be checked)

This requires a pre-trip inspection. No required time is specified for any inspections, but any inspecting time is on-duty/not driving and must be shown in the logs. 395.8 interpretations question says that if it takes less than 15 minutes you must show the number of minutes in the remarks area. This is how to truly "flag" a pre-trip. You must show the time.

The post-trip is a paperwork requirement (see 396.11), but it implies that the items are physically checked also, which would mean more on-duty time to be shown in the log.

What I have just described to you is the "FMCSA law". (please look it up yourself) I do not know what your carrier is talking about.

 

395.11 actual time the 15 minutes is from paper logs when everything was rounded to 15 minute increments... but now we have elogs and it's actual time recorded as such...
PS elogs suck !

 

wrong, read scalemasters post... fmsca has always said to log the time it actually takes...

 

Seriously I don't think 5 in 100 drivers even walk around their truck once a day. Let alone do any kind of inspection.

 

thats what i said.....

 

actually no, you could flag less than fifteen minutes, but you are required to right the actual time spent with the flag....

I find elogs make the job easier, and I actually gained time over paper logs, running legal.

 

my elog allows me to run 1 mile faster then your elog. and still run legal.

when i came back out i used to log 15 pre and post. as that was the requirement when i first started otr. moons ago.

now i flag 5 pre on my drive and flag 15 post. one of the advantages of being a flatbedder. you get to see your equipment a whole bunch more then all you door swingers.

 

Huh? Other than the freight on your bed, what more do you see that a door swinger doesn't?

 

Flatbedders are out and around the truck more we most generally have to stand out and guide loaders and walk around the truck more as strapping or tarping so while doing this open eyes and look around swinging doors most walk to the back swing doors twice per dock.
We are back and forth many times per load and up and down the catwalks getting equipment yada yada so yeah we see the truck and trailer more often for longer periods of time and whatelse we going to do between each time the forks are getting the next piece to load.
Oh and we generally run shorter loads.