Drinking a beer

If some of the people here could have seen what went on in the back row down in Ontario (and in many other places) back in the 1970's.......................................................................

 

I don't care what people do. BUT! If I see that you're drunk and behind the wheel, I will have no issue with saying something to your company and the police.

 

Where you there during the drag racing days of the 70's?

Right in front of the trucks that were parked on the dirt at the back of the lot they would have their drag races. One night a cab over International with a 318 Detroit with a 10 speed Roadranger put done a Conventional Freightliner that had a 450 Cat with a 4 X 6. Taking off both of the were smoking their tires. Couldn't believe that truck drivers would do that with their trucks.

 

Its very good to turn them in for about 25,000 people die each year on our highways because of drinking drivers. And the majority of people who drink, drive after drinking.

And if they get caught, or in a wreck, they will say I only had one of two drinks, when in reality they had several.

 

The US Marshall gets mad if you make a false report. You better sniff out the situation first!

 

WHY these people who drive tractor-trailers think they need or deserve a (40)oz alcoholic beverage at the start of their (10)hr break, gives one something to think about while taking a curve going down GREAT-GORGE on I40 beside these folk.
If you just have too grab a "COLD" one at the end of a long hot day grab a SHOWER !!

 

I don't know truckologist, They should be grabbing a 30 pack instead, 40z is nothing.Can't handle beer?

 

I don't know about "need", but deserve? Drive 11 hours and you deserve a good meal and a cold beer if you please. I don't really drink anymore but some people look forward to a cold one after a long day. My personal opinion is to find a bar close by, drinking in the truck is too risky. Too many eyes and whatnot. A lot of these big companies are putting cameras in the truck, bet they'd love to see a driver crack open a cold one. And as for them not monitoring it when you're not driving? I call BS on that. Get a driver they might find questionable and you can guarantee that camera is on 24/7.

 

You can't be relieved of duty when you are sitting in a truck. I know that the FMCSA rules allow you to log off duty but legally until someone take possession of the truck, you are legally responsible for that truck, hence not relieved.

Remember that there are two issues here, one of the logs with state enforcement and the other is the legal (civil) responsibility. If the truck stop has your truck towed, that has zero to do with logging - an example.

Well yes and no.

That's Ohio's version of physical control which has been used in court cases and those people have lost fro what I've seen.

In other states it means you are the responsible party of the vehicle and as such you CAN drive it. Some states will take in account that you have open intoxicants in the vehicle, no matter what the vehicle is (except those party buses) - Michigan is one - while others will use the idea that you are in the vehicle in a public access area (truck stops with driveways) and are drinking. The FMCSA regs are not fully clear about it but other DOT regs other place seem to point to physical control meaning actual access to and responsibility of the vehicle (having the keys).

I guess one question is how many of you enter and exit your truck from the passenger side?

The point is that this is the regs, this is how I am told by legal advisers how it works so I don't argue with people I pay - they've been right 99% of the time. It comes down to this - it all depends on the cops who decide to investigate you. They can cite a lot more than FMCSA regs and don't have to be polite about giving you a ticket or arresting you.