Hours of service questions and answers

As long as it has the ability to print out your previous day's logs, so you can sign them and have them available for inspection, it would probably satisfy the regs for current day's logs.

 

You can sign them right on your screen. It gives you a print option, so I guess if you have a printer for your iPad or iPhone, you should be able to print them too. I still use paper logs but use the app first to make sure I'm legal before I draw those lines.

 

It has to be a handwritten signature per 395.8 (f) (7)
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=395.8
(7) Signature/certification. The driver shall certify to the correctness of all entries by signing the form containing the driver's duty status record with his/her legal name or name of record. The driver's signature certifies that all entries required by this section made by the driver are true and correct.

Then there is the requirements further spelled out in the interpretations,
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu...fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=395.8&guidence=Y

*Question 27: Would a driver who prepares his/her log on a computer, ‘digitally’ signs the log, and then transmits it directly to the carrier, be in compliance with 49 CFR §395.8(f)(2)?
Guidance: No. The driver’s activities must be recorded in accordance with the provisions of §395.8(f)(2). This section requires that all entries relating to driver’s duty status must be legible and in the driver’s own handwriting.
*Question 28: May a driver use a computer to generate his or her record of duty status (log book) and then manually sign the computer printouts in lieu of handwritten logs?
Guidance: A driver may use a computer to generate the graph grid and entries for the record of duty status or log books, provided the computer-generated output includes the minimum information required by §395.8 and is formatted in accordance with the rules. In addition, the driver must:
[TABLE="class: nrlist"]
[TR]
[TD="class: nr"]1.[/TD]
[TD="class: nr"]Be capable of printing the record of duty status for the current 24-hour period at the request of an enforcement officer.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: nr"]2.[/TD]
[TD="class: nr"]Print the record of duty status at the end of each 24-hour period, and sign it in his or her handwriting to certify that all entries required by this section are true and correct.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: nr"]3.[/TD]
[TD="class: nr"]Maintain a copy of printed and signed records of duty status for the previous 7 consecutive days and make it available for inspection at the request of an enforcement officer.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

I have a scanned in copy of my signature which is (obviously) in my own handwriting. Using that would fill the requirements of the rule. The last place I worked that used electronic logs had no way to print them out anyway.

 

Do not confuse Electronic Logs (EOBR) with computer generated logs, there is a very distinct difference. Electronically reproduced signature is not the same as own handwriting. I've seen a few get citations for that.

 

Better tell all the credit card companies. If I remember right, they had me sign on an electronic pad at the DMV last time I was there. Does that make my cdl invalid?

In fact, just looked at my license. That is a scraggly electronic signature on it. Looks worse than the electronic copy I have of my real signature that I signed by hand on paper and scanned in.

 

Neither credit cards, nor your DMV are subject to FMCSA HOS regs.

 

i have few ?? I work for a company that hauls sod (grass) we are classed as a farm by the stae of NC, i keep paperwork in truck, im start and stop at hame every night mostly stay under 100 air miles each trip, so i dont run a log then, but my ?? is if one day i have to run over the 100 miles do i have to run a log just for that day? what about the prior 7? what if i do not go over 100 miles but have to cross state lines?

 

so the days i go over just run for thst day and if stoped tell them all other days were under 100 mile radius? what about state lines?