Need dot consultant? Dot advice

and thanks, i figured i would pass but didnt want to risk it. thats a good idea im going to do that tom and see if i do then ill call him back.

 

Does a driver's timecard need to match the drivers logbook? Our drivers typically do not get paid for their drive time to the jobsite, which I believe is fairly common practice in the road construction industry. Logbooks will show that time including the pre-trip and post-trip, but a DOT audit comparing the two will not match. Is it required that they do?

Thanks!

 

Yes, it is. Sort of. As has been pointed out, whether the driver is paid or not has nothing to do with how time is logged. If the truck is being driven in the course of doing work, it must be logged. Period. Driving in to the office or going home does not have to be logged as on duty. Driving from the office to pick up a load or going to a job site is on duty.

However, it might not be a problem if the time cards are showing less time than the log books. If it was the other way around, you'd get in trouble, but I'm not sure how they'd handle it the way you have it. One solution is to toss out your antiquated timecard system. They can't very well punch in on a physical card at the office from the job site in the truck. So you must already be tracking hours with a different method. Lose the unnecessary paper trail.

 

The reason we still have the timecard system is to record what the employee is doing during the day, ie. laboring, installing silt fence, operating equipment, driving dump truck. Their pay rate may be different depending on what they are doing and we need to track the labor for each item for future bidding. So, on their logs, they need to go to the on duty line for their pre and post trips and then the driving line as they do throughout the day, even if they are not being paid. Appreciate the info!

 

I am not sure this is the correct place for this ? But, I have heard that beginning in 2013 or 2014 any driver who hauls Totes (a container with a capacity of 118.5 gallons or more) will be required to have a Tanker endorsement on his CDL? Does anyone know if this is true? One of my old friends who never got the Tanker endorsement cannot seem to find the correct answer. Thanks for any info.

 

There was a recent change in the definition of "Tank Vehicle" found in 383.5.

The change will add "tanks having an individual rated capacity of more than 119 gallons and an aggregate rated capacity of 1,000 gallons or more" to the existing requirement for tank endorsement which applies to single tanks with a capacity of 1,000 gallons or more.

So, yes, if you are hauling totes (IBC's) with an aggregate CAPACITY of 1,000 gallons or more, you would need a tank endorsement.

There has been much opposition to this change and several official requests for clarification have been filed with FMCSA. There is still enough time before the effective date for it to be modified or changed back. We will have to wait and see.

 

Not like the tanker endorsement is difficult to get. It's what, 15-20 questions?

 

Hello,

I am a delivery driver, I drive a class C straight truck and a class A flatbed. The other day I ran out of fuel in the straight truck and by time I got it running I was well past 14 hours and drove it back. I am not required to fill out a log book normally. My boss wants me to fill out some form explaining when I was driving and when I wasn't. I think they will use this to disipline me or turn it in to DOT and I might get fined. There is no way for them to prove that I drove the truck so would I be better off to refuse to fill out the paper and take what ever disipline they have for that?

Any advise is appriciated,

Thanks,
caje4

 

Your boss won't turn it in to the DOT . If he did he would be fined more than you would . Most likely you wouldn't be fined at all .

Why not just ask why he needs the form ?

 

He says corporate transportation is going to want it.
I read in another post if it's a violation for the truck the company is fined and if it's a log book or duty hours the driver gets fined.

How long can the DOT go back on someone and penalize or fine them?