Before I ask my question I would just like to thank dieselbear for the time he puts into answering these questions. I for one truly appreciate your knowledge and insight into our profession. Lord only knows, we need all the help we can get!

Now, for my question that I'm sure has been asked before. When traveling to a new job, be it by plane, train, bus, or car, is it required to be logged as on duty not driving? I'm leaving next week to fly to PA to start a 2 day orientation with a new company. I suspect that the orientation should be logged, but what about the 3 hour plane ride? Thanks in advance for you help. Forgive me if this question sounds funny, but in the 26 yrs of driving I've only had 2 OTR jobs and both of them where within 5 miles of my house.

Question 11: Must non transportation-related work for a motor carrier be recorded as on-duty time?

Guidance: Yes. All work for a motor carrier, whether compensated or not, must be recorded as on-duty time. The term “work” as used in the definition of “on-duty time” in [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. of the [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. is not limited to driving or other non transportation-related employment.

Not sure if this helps or not. You may want to ask your new safety department.

Simple answer is no.

You will not be completed as hired until you arrive at the new job. You also will not be compensated.

No would be the answer! You are not employee'd as a driver!


If the company you was working for flew you somewhere then you would log it as on duty if when you got to your destination you did NOT take a consecutive 10 hr break. If you take a 10 hr break when u get to ur destination (being you flew, road a car/bus etc) you can log the traveling time as off duty.

The Q&A listed in previous post is "working for a motor carrier" the driver going to orientation is not working for that employer as of yet.

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"Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then."

The 11 hour rule consist of line 3 only
The 14 hour rule consist of lines 1,2,3 &4: once you get to the 14th hr you must not DRIVE, however you can work on line 4 all u want past the 14th hour.
The 70 hour consist of lines 3 & 4:

You should be encouraging the driver to log the correct duty status. If he stops for 30 minutes he should log this as off duty(if the company relieves him of all responsibility prior to dispatch)
If a driver stops and deals with a load for 1 hour he must log this as line 4. We cant adjust the log to make it give us more hours. Well you can however it can cause the driver/company major issue's if the driver is in an accident or the company has a dot audit.

Have a great week

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"Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then."

this in regards to tint. which probably vary state to state. but as a retired mechanic. that 30 percent law is already for the most part reflected in your windows. don't beleive me. roll down your windows a little. and look at the scenery through the window and then look at the scenery without the window. you will notice the darkness between window and no window. my car for instance has absolutely no tint. but just the window alone shows 24%. there is no tint light enough that can be added that won't put me above that 30%. anybody wanting to add tint to there windows, well, chances are 100% that no matter how light the tint is you put on. your going to be above that 30%.

the way it was when i first started trucking was off duty until the actual time came to actually jump in that truck. the book had to have 7 days prior as d.o.t is only supposed to go back 7 days. if you log orientation and all that fun stuff going to orienation. your hours are ate up before you start trucking. for the most part. in other words. you off duty for 7 days up to the time you start actually driving. starting with your 15 min pretrip as on duty time. unless your changing jobs between those 7 days then you would have to transfer enough information over to the new log book to give you 7 days worth.

that's how it was when i first started, the rules might be different now. i've been local for awhile now so i'm still learning the new 11/14/70.

and on that note. my question is this. i read a lot of newbies getting bussted because they are logging shipping time as off duty time. i would assume that the correct approach would be to log dock time as sleeper berth????? unless it's a short visit at the docks, then it would be logged as on duty tme???? i understanding d.o.t. don't want split time anymore. but my feeling is that a short visit would be on duty, but chances are i will probably get stuck sitting around for the next load anyways so that's a good chance to start the 10 or 8 & 2???

i'm looking to get back on the highway. the last time i was out there. i was team and didn't have the problems of logging as compared to what a solo has to face these days. i plan on solo and not team this time. but my memory is also a little rusty on logs. and with the new rules. it's a learning curve all over again.

Ok, here's one for you. I am the proud owner of one class 6 (26000 gvw) 20' box truck-10' motorhome-10' cargo. Because I chose to haul my stuff in something that would not break down from 3-4 tons of stuff (unlike a motorhome) I have to have a dot. Since I do not haul for hire (only myself) but I carry items I sell, I am the proud owner of "Flying Skwirl Trucking" I have to get inspections, go through scales, and even have keep on file with application from me to work for me. Oh, yea my wife has one also as she is my co-driver. Did I also mention that we have to have yearly driver reviews? (My wife gets to evaluate *me*...)
But the big thing is "log books" Some of the answers have come from this site. Here is what I am wondering about. I leave my house (home office) for a event. I understand the driving etc. What do I do when I am at a event selling-resting -goofing off. I am not at the home office (my house) but I am not responsable for the truck either. Then comes the times I will be gone from the house for 4-8 weeks soemtimes traveling, sometimes selling, and a lot of time parked using the truck as a moterhome doing nothing. Seems to be a bunch of wasted pages to log "not on duty". Or can I use one page with notes stating that I wasn't driving-wasn't doing anything?

Hmm, I might be wrong, but even though you aren't necessarily responsible for the truck, it could be said that you are still responsible for the cargo. Also, your time spent selling could be construed as "work." If either is true, then it would have to be logged as line 4, technically.

Again, I'm no expert by any means, especially with what you are doing. Best bet would be to call up someone from the CMV regulatory bodies of both the federal and whatever states you operate in.

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What has been seen...

...cannot be unseen.

My question for the DOT guy(s) is similar: I just ran across this topic tonight-I have had several surgeries in the last five years; 2 for my back, the last of which in 2007 was a fusion, and last year I blew up my wrist and had to have a tendon reattached. I am good as new, probably better. However, when I get to the physical portion of the testing I would assume I need to disclose this, correct? And, if so, will it disqualify me to have these on my records? I am certain I can get my doc to put in writing that I am completely discharged and good as new, but I'm wondering if this will throw up a red flag to potential employers that might not want to take on the liability of me having another problem in the future? I see all of these fat and out of shape truckers at the truck stops that I assume are all driving legally, and yet here I sit worrying that as fit as I am (6'-4" tall and 250 lbs) that I won't even get my foot in the door.


Any information on this matter would be greatly appreciated. I'm due to go to school very soon, and I don't want to be tested on anything medically that I don't already know the outcome to. If I disclose this stuff, will it then redflag me to the point where they will pull a medical history on me? Can they legally do that? Can trucking companies get access to your overall medical history as a part of the employment process?


Thanks!