log book missing vehicle inspection form

I run local and just run an inspection sheet that just asks me when my day has started(including pre trip). I'll take my 15-20 min walk around and come the end of the day 500-700 km later when I'm back fueling up at my shop I take another quick gander. That way I can fix minor things before the next morning when I'm expected to be at a certain place for 7 Am. I've done this for three years and have never had any significant issues other then maybe a tire getting punctured from debris in the quarry..

When I was going Hwy I'd always note my 15 min pre trip and a few hours down the road I'd pull over for a quick look around again and mark 15 min on duty as tire/load check and never had any issues..

 

Here is what can happen in between a pre and post trip inspection. Tire failure , it had no sidewall damage, tire pressure was correct. Vehicle hit no debris or potholes. Happened 30 miles from drop. Also. It was a sunny day, 75 outside.

 

I haul anything that pays money flat or stepdeck.....I've hauled 1 48ft copper tube to airplanes to 16ft wide cooling towers there's not to many things I've never hauled!

 

Cool. Nice range of loads

 

Except you proved yourself wrong.

You said they got up and took a piss, so they didn't do a pre trip. If they did the pre trip, they likely wouldn't be on the side of the road. So there wasn't a drastic change in the 10 hours is my point.

But, I'm being a nit and your general idea is right.

 

Well there are a lot of opinions and anecdotal experience being posted, but very few facts. You would do well to familiarize yourself with what the actual rules are.


Yes, the rules require you to check your load at various intervals during transit, and not just if it is hazmat.

In-transit load checks can be shown as simply as "flagging" (anything less than 15 minutes) and showing the location of your stop and the time taken. There is no FMCSA requirement to write anything in the remarks re: load check.

No, there is no time requirement specified for either a pre-, or post-trip inspection. Log it as you do it. Having said that, I rarely log more than 15 minutes and have never had an issue. As for the often posted (although probably rarely, if ever, actually encountered), "...what if the enforcement officer says to show him you can do an inspection in xx minutes...," simply inform the officer in question that that's what it took you then and you have no idea what it would take now, and does he have any proof otherwise. For a pre-trip inspection, this is what the FMCSA requires (being able to articulate (a), or show written proof of same, would be very important):

If you don't have a copy of the FMCSA regulations (little green bible) then you need to get one.

Carrier policies may exceed the FMCSA requirements.

 

Very nice reply

 

Im by no means an expert but here is what I would do different on my logs.

At the bottom where you begin and end your day I would write city and state not just the state.

I would log some time off duty and not all my down time in the sleeper. This could be debated if you truly spent all that time in your sleeper.

It doesn't appear you noted where your change of duty status was when you dropped to line 4 from 8-8:15.

I record line 3&4 time in the upper right hand corner where it says recap. It makes it simpler to add your hours when you're trying to figure out how much of your 70 is left.

 

You also have to put manifest numbers, load numbers or commodity in the section at the bottom. DOT will get you for "Improper Form" and write a citation. I've had it happen to me