I'm new, but not THAT new. Need advice for Electronic Logs / DOT checkpoints

1st. Thank you for your service.
2) there are 3 types of elds. I used two. And they both took about a week to get used to.
3) truck stops just suck period.
4) keep your weight even on the axles and watch the speed with in 20 mins of the big cities you should be ok.

5 here's the big one. You will prolly be able to pick up where you left off with heavy hauling. But I have no experiance in that area.
It won't take to long, and you will be wishing you didn't retire.

 

With your heavy haul experience, look for a local job that allows you to use the 100 air mile radius exemption.

Current regulations allow 14 consecutive hours within a circle with a 150 air mile radius.
You need to return to your starting point and be relieved within 14 consecutive hours and have 10 hours off between shifts.
Your carrier is responsible to maintain 'time records' to monitor hours of service, no ELD unless you leave the big circle more than 7 times in 29 days; then a ELD is required.

Most construction and equipment distributors operate in a limited area and are usually home in one shift...just your forte

Inspections happen, more to trucks that are dirty with a pile of stuff on the dash, etc.

 

Your question isn't so much with elds as it is with the HOS and trip planning. Search the new driver thread for trip planning titles.

 

ELDs are usually not hard to learn, but as gentleroger says, they make more sense if you know the HOS rules.

 

While driving for the DOD I'm curious if you ever had a situation with an overzealous DOT cop or local county mounty that either did not know to leave you alone or didn't care and still wanted to do his thing. Or did you always have an escort?

 

You need to learn the Hours of Service regulations, inside and out, backwards and forwards.

in quick review:

four clocks:

8 hour clock: you may not drive a CMV after 8 hours of driving, unless you take a 30 minute minimum break from driving (I.e off duty, on duty or sleeper berth).
11 hour clock: you may not drive a CMV for more than 11 hours during a duty shift.
14 hour clock. You may not drive a CMV AFTER 14 hours since first coming on duty.
All three clocks reset to zero after a 10 hour period of combined sleeper berth and off duty.
70 hr clock: you may not drive a CMV after reaching 70 hours of on duty and driving hours in an 8 day period. (60 hours in a 7 day period if you operate 6 days a week only).

the 70 hour clock resets after 34 hours combined off duty / sleeper berth.

Extra points: the new split sleeper berth rule. Not for those who do not understand HOS basics yet.

 

8 hour is now just drive time, not since coming on duty. So you can't drive more than 8 total hours since the last time you spent 30 consecutive minutes not on line 3

I know it's what you meant, it's just really hard to out into words.