Money lost if no parking next to drop / pickup point

Splitting hairs over the law nearly never has a positive outcome with the police. Try "not furthering the business interests of the carrier" instead of hand wringing over the route. It's a simpler test that even the average cop understands, since that's what is printed in the green book. Anything else is a derivative of that.

Assuming anyone that doesn't understand the regulation to be a criminal is absurd. That sounds like something a bad cop would say. The rules are deliberately ambiguous enough so that law enforcement can interpret them however they want to.

Since this is the second time today I've seen this mind-numbing discussion, here is where to seek answers.

 

I think there's an important aspect you're missing, that isn't something you can put in a spreadsheet. Or, more specifically, opportunity cost.

My personal decision on where to park prior to a delivery goes beyond available HOS, or quantifiable dollar cost. It's actually much simpler: do I feel like camping in my truck on a curb somewhere or opt for more quality rest somewhere there's restrooms, food available, and a big enough field to walk my dog without needing to police her poop? The cost of the latter really isn't part of the decision. I'll pay $25 to reserve a spot in a less than ideal urban truck stop where I have facilities and dog walking, or park at a better one an hour or more away, well before I'll park on a ramp or curb somewhere nearby. The only time you'll see me "roughing it" on a curb is when I am running a load where minutes count for an on time delivery, and I'm probably regretting being greedy and accepting the load with such a schedule anyway. Something I almost never do.

For example, I'm currently running a very rare for me regular run. The consignee is in an area with no good truck stops to take advantage of, but probably wouldn't complain if I parked on their lot, outside their gate the night before. On the other hand, 20 miles before reaching them, is, in my opinion, one of the best state-run rest areas in the nation. In 11 years I've never seen truck parking more than 50% occupied, as well as spotless bathrooms with a seat available for my pre-trip needs every time the need arises, and literal acres of dog walking space. Just no food, but I carry some on the truck.

It takes me 35-40 minutes to make the final leg the morning of the delivery, which makes maximizing HOS for the rest of the day more challenging and unpredictable. I might even turn down a load tender due to that, and it can be a tight market for reloads there. Split berth logging makes it work most times, so it's not a deal breaker. I still use the rest area despite outside the gate at the delivery being an option.

A fee paid, parking only facility would only be appealing to me if there were not too disgusting or unsafe food, bathrooms, and dog exercising space within walking distance.

 

A company I was leased on with sorta explained it as any miles on PC that puts you closer to a load or delivery is not PC
Now if you passed a place to park and turned around and went backwards. I think that could be PC? As you are actually losing ground. Or PC from the turn around ramp, go park, and PC back to that ramp and start your next day?

And they allowed PC with in reason going to a safe haven
I actually had them call me once in like 8 years about PC and safety could see I pulled into 3 rest areas long before my time ran out and they called just to verify that the lots were full
I probably forgot to note that or something

 

That kind of speaks to something that leans into the gray area of "what's ok for PC" in my world.

Lately I have a delivery I start my clock for at 0630, drive in then go off duty for around 45-60 minutes on duty/driving time at the beginning of my shift. I can sit there a while without raising concerns, but not indefinitely. I need to move sooner than later. Keeping in mind a split forming as I creep toward 2 hours at that place. Unload usually takes 30-45 min however.

Most times I book my reload right there while being unloaded, or shortly after and go from there. It can be anywhere in 150 mile radius. However, the market tends to favor to the west. There's a service plaza that's alright but less than ideal, about 15 mi to the west. A way better full service truck stop is 40 miles west. There's a few less ideal spots within 20 miles that are not west.

Now and then, the market is wimpy early in the morning. If I get unloaded in under an hour, I'll immediately PC to the more better truck stop to the west, then find my next load while enjoying a gnarly, overpriced breakfast on dishes someone else will be washing. Email time stamps on a reload tender would establish that I'm not "under dispatch" for this move. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

However, anyone familiar with my market segment would not be making a big leap to suspect this as a move to a more business-favorable staging spot. Being honest though, there's an unlikely but not impossible chance that my reload could be right where I just left, or even further east. If I was a gambling man, I'd put the odds at about 1:4 I'd be backtracking.

Could be interpreted either way, depending on the cop and what kind of mood the crime fighter is in, or quotas he's falling short on. I see the time stamp on the rate confirmation as my get-out-of-jail-free card, but have never had to try it out so can't be sure.

That said, I've had two Level 3 inspections passed where my logs contained PC and YM here and there, annotated clearly, and they were never questioned.

 

I usually park 15 miles from shipper or receiver. At any walmart or rest area. I stopped usung PC at all since DOT dont like to see it on your logbook. If they see it they start 45 minutes investigation which i hate to to expain to them that been doing laundry. N shopping for new laptop at the best buy. Not worth going down that road for me. ..