Paper logs tips?

What you describe is called 'rounding.' Most DOT folks are totally aware of it and is super easy to spot. Now just because you have safety guy that was stupid don't expect it every where.

The thing is there is no rounding up or down rules at the FMSCA: No 6 or 7 minute standard as some claim. If you are going to cheat a log you might as well take up the whole 15min, or hour, or whatever is needed to get the job done.

I would not stress playing minute games like that. The only reason to do that is if your crap company has a tracking system on the truck to check logs; and it only works if you have a stupid safety guy. Not all safety guys are stupid. Some will write you up for that.

Like I said the DOT is aware of the situation you describe. If they don't want to do the paper work for writing a false log; they can write you up for a speeding situation in states where the speed limit it less then your speed recognized on logs. If they don't do that you just handed them a invitation with that obviously false log, to thoroughly check out the rest of your ####.

 

As you say DOT is aware! 70/8 rules are made in a way that you can not cheat them! Personally I mark my millage at every stop! I think I can survive a e-log switch any time!

However I do not think e logs can survive with the actual split rules!!!!! Who the #### sleeps 10 hours ? Do you? Does the president?

 

Where is the regulation that says you have to sleep for 10 hours?

 

I did yesterday, now I'm gunna work my full 9


Hundred and fifty miles.... wal mart should put logs on sale cuz today they're on roll back. Lol

 

Nothing false about those logs. You, me and everyone else were taught that with paper logs, rounding is what you do. The DOT standard log book is broken into 15 minute intervals. What other choice do you have? And the GPS in the truck used for tracking would verify that I was stopped at the times I logged.

740/11=67mph(+/-). The routes I took were 70mph with the exception of the roughly 2 miles on each end of the route and about 20 miles of 55 & 65mph through 2 cities. Easily obtainable in a 70mph truck with the door kept closed.

Of course, anyone can assume whatever they like. Including a DOT officer. But he has to prove it before a citation or later in a court of law. And, had I ever been given a citation, I would have had a GPS record to back my log book up. Plain and simple. Until they write code/laws stating that a driver has to be stationary for a full 15 minutes when he stops, there is absolutely nothing illegal about it. It was done completely within the laws as they are written.

 

One thing the DOT does is divide the miles you travel by the time it took to find out your average speed you drove.

So you might not want to average 79mph from Ontario, CA to Anthony, TX. Bad look.

 

Paperlogs in a nutshell.

As long as your log book matches the time and date that are indicated on your fuel receipts, Bols, repair receipts, inspections, tickets and times you passed any scale. You can move your logs, adjust your logs, #### tear a log out and throw it in the air like skeet shooting.

Example. If I run from Ontario CA to Dallas TX, I drive straight to Quartzite, fuel up and then straight to Las Cruces. There are cameras in AZ / NM that log your location. So I can't leave NM until I take my full 10 because there is a camera right before NM state line on the 10E.

Once I get into TX I feel free as a ####ing bird man. I can hit Dallas when ever I want as long as the fuel receipts match. Example : Gamble, if I fuel at 10pm but the fuel receipt has no time, that could very well have been 5am when I fueled.

Once in Dallas I usually drop at small Co.'s and ask them not to write a date on my bill. You have to be really stupid or really obvious for DOT to wanna call shippers and truck stops.

I leave Dallas and go to Laredo but mabey I want to cram in a SLC trip when I get back. So if you are a gambling man, then you could just make your logs look like you went straight to Laredo, dropped and then picked up and headed out. If they ask you for the bill. Which they hardly ever do, just say that you sent it off in a trippack and sent the receipt by transflow. You are not required by law to keep receipts . it just looks funny.

NOW, I SUGGEST THESE THINGs BECAUSE IT WAS HOW I RAN A LONG TIME AGO. BUT THIS #### IS STRESSFUL AND CONSTANT DOT EVASION STARTS TO WEAR ON YOU AFTER AWHILE.

There are a thousand ways to beat the system and get away with it in order to make more money. I've tried alot of them just because I am daring by nature. But, it only takes one of those ways to cost you your career and if you weight it, it will never be worth it to throw away your career for one load. Never.

So if you wanna run like that, make sure your company is cool, because JUST BECAUSE YOU GOT AWAY WITH IT ON THE ROAD DOESNT MEAN IT WILL BE OVER LOOK IF YOUR COMPANY GETS AUDITED.

My advice, dive fast and long to maximize profits.

 

WARNING, Some brokers set the rates based off you being a solo driver and they set the delivery time and date based off how long it would take a solo driver to get there LEAGALLY . So if you show up early and drop it could cause your company some problems.

 

There can be as much as a half-hour variance in the logged time vs. the actual time to drive a specified distance on paper logs with 15-minute gradations due to rounding.

Say a driver logs a distance of 220 miles driven in four hours--from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM--and logged on those time marks. However, the actual start time could be from 3:52.5 PM to 4:07.5 PM and the stop time could be from 7:52.7 PM to 8:07.5 PM. If you take the middle--4:00 PM to 8:00 PM--the average speed is 55 mph. If you take the least time--from 7.5 minutes after 4:00 to 7.5 minutes before 8:00--the average speed is 58.7 mph. The greatest time--7.5 minutes before 4:00 to 7.5 minutes after 8:00--yields an average speed of 51.8 mph. If the "acceptable" average speed is 54 mph, can it be proved the driver sped? No.

I would fight any citation/violation for speed calculated as an average based on log book entries. I know it is done. I once had a scale master at the scale at Lima, MT, include a violation on my inspection for a distance covered in CA. I didn't fight it at the time because it was long before CSA and I was leaving trucking and didn't care, but for sure I would now. There is a fundamental flaw in getting these kinds of CS citations/violations and them not being challenged.

 

You didn't read; there are no rules on rounding. Do what you want, but that 6min you used in your example is 6+ miles down the road I am and my logbook will look the same and be no less legal.

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/395.8?guidance


"Question 1: How should a change of duty status for a short period of time be shown on the driver’s record of duty status?

Guidance: Short periods of time (less than 15 minutes) may be identified by drawing a line from the appropriate on-duty (not driving) or driving line to the remarks section and entering the amount of time, such as “6 minutes,” and the geographic location of the duty status change."

And - no one will care.

Then keep to door shut and do it. No need to have that suspicious looking log in your log book. No need to play stop and go, minute by minute games.

It is always best to not put yourself in that situation. Do what you want, but if you waste time and hire a lawyer then win, what do you win - Nothing - nothing that could not be avoided in the first place. You waste time that could be used for working or with your family. No lawyer is cheep. The reality of the court is the officer has the upper hand and you will loose even if you are in the right.

No - read the guidance above. It is best to take the guidance as law because that is how the dot, the judge, and your lawyer will see it. No BS truck stop rounding rule will hold water. No one will care about your GPS. I am just telling you and for your own benefit and everyone else. You did not find the log loophole of century.