Managing 70 hr clock - rookie question

39 years in the industry, I log a 10 second pre-trip, not 15 minutes. If I EVER was asked (which in 39 years I havent been) I would say I did a standard brake check which as you know you move the truck, jump on the brakes and feel for it pulling to 1 side or the other. No way they can prove you didnt do this, and they HAVE TO PROVE IT to cite you.

I log 3 to 5 mins for fueling. I only log the time the hose is in the tank. If I EVER was checked (which I havent been in 39 years) its easy for them to verify the time the pump started until it ended.

Checking in with customers, again they have to PROVE it took you more than 15 seconds to do that, which unless they are standing there watching you, they cant. Again, in 39 years never even been asked about it.

What by the book you need to do, and what you REALLY need to do are entirely different. But the ONE thing I will agree with is, it is YOUR license. YOUR choice.

Never had a log violation in 39 years almost 4 million miles...

I had a Wisconsin trooper tell me once "it doesnt take you this many hours to get from here to there" (I had stopped for an hour for a nap when the sun came up as I was driving east and didnt want to be blinded, and I was trying to shed hours so I would run out of hours before the weekend). My answer? "yeah, so?". That was the end of it. She never even mentioned the 10 second pre-trip, and she was looking for something to nail me on and couldnt.

Basically the long and short of logs is as long as you are on line 3 and you arent over your 11 hours driving time, 14 hour on duty time, and 70 hour limit there is really very little they can write you a ticket for, unless of course they ask you something and you answer them. More people get into trouble because they want to be "helpful". Be polite and courteous, but never answer a question.

I am NOT saying lie to them. Simply do not answer the question directly.

Do you know how fast you were going? Im not sure officer.
Where are you going? Isnt it on the bills?
Where are you coming from? Im not sure what exit it was, isnt it on my logs?

Never answer directly. Be polite. Answer a question with a question when you can that way it seems as though you are answering without actually answering.
Or when all else fails simply say I dont think I need to answer that do I? And truthfully you do NOT HAVE to answer anything. 5th amendment. But if you are polite and courteous about it rather than saying "the 5th amendment says I dont have to answer" the cop usually doesnt get an attitude.

39 years, no log violations.

 

My opinion is that these two consistently give solid feedback. @tscottme put in a bunch of good stuff to keep in mind.

If the dispatch can not be completed how it is given to you, then Communicate via text or e-mail, Let them know what you can do, and if you are open to relaying the load to another driver.

If you are able to complete current load but are marginal on hours for another? Communicate..... May be something as simple as: " Hello dispatch, 70 is getting thin, I'm O.K. for current load delivery,. Would be nice to delay reloading for a day or so unless you have a load with too much time on it?"

Falsifying logs is an issue that may keep you from a dream job in the future...... tread there with extreme caution.

Keep your eye's on the future: don't do something now that jeopardizes that. If they push to falsify logs, look for another carrier. remember you were looking for a job when you found that one. Others are out there.

 

learn your lanes. 8hr 45 min. can get u 500 + miles most days. dallas, austin is different at 2am vs 10 am.
learn alt. routes(rand mcnally).
fmcsa has a rule about driving fatigued/ill. learn it. & keep the door closed. good luck n safe miles.

 

My rule of thumb, if I'm waiting, I go off duty. Get to a place, go on duty to check in. Get sent back to truck to,wait for a dock, go to off duty. Get called with a dock. Drive over, get settled in dock, go back to off duty. I'm waiting to get loaded/off-loaded. Get finished back to on duty for check out. At a fuel station waiting in line to get fuel, switch to off duty. Get up to fuel island to get fuel, back to on duty for fueling. Finish fueling pull forward, switch to off duty to go in and take care of business.
Basically, anytime I'm waiting for the next thing to happen,, I go off duty.. That's the guidance I use and works for me. If you run good, chances are you'll burn through your 70 before you start getting recap hours. So, gotta take a 34. Plain and simple. Not a wise idea to log off duty when it should be on duty. But, donot use on duty when off duty is the correct choocee. Depending on the circumstances of,the day, I average less than 30 minutes on duty each day. On average.

 

Log as is. Unless your burning up hours a day on duty for no reason, burning up your 70 in 8 days ain’t the worst. Bet your dispatcher ain’t never stepped foot in a semi. Log as is and keep your butt covered in case god forbid something happened and you have some lawyer or someone tearing your logs apart.

 

One of the important things each driver has to learn for themselves is how to not get burned out. It is an essential commodity and each driver tends to be different. In my opinion, one of the reasons so many attempt to become a driver and then walk away later is that they simply burn themselves out because they don't figure out what they need to rest and recharge and try to run too hard, too long without getting the physical and emotional rest they need. Doesn't help that many companies push drivers to get as much from them as they can, combined with a mascism from new driver thinking they can just keep going without adequate rest and recharge.
Each driver is different, but what works for me is: I only go on hometime every month and a half to 2 months, sometimes longer. But, when I go home, I stay a week. It just takes me a week. First couple days to decompress from the road, so to speak, a couple days to take care of business, honey-dos, etc and then a couple days where I can visit friends, go out and enjoy myself. However, while I'm out, I take a day, or two, off here and there. My basic guidance is, if I'm earning recap hours, I ready for a day off. I'm flexible and things such as where I am, how are things running with loads, etc all play into it. Sometimes, usually every three-ish weeks, once again depending of the situations involved, I'll take 2 days off. Basically one day to tend to chores such as laundry, cleaning truck, etc and one day to really relax. Those 2 day breaks are more about emotional and mental recharge than physical rest and keeping up with laundry and the like. I do my best to be flexible and it often happens that circumstances give me the time off I need (truck maintenance or breakdown). Fortunately I work at a company that accommodates me on this stuff without guff, but on occasion my break is basically non-negotiable. I'll simply tell them I'm done and taking a day or 2 off. I have a good record on my loads and working for the same company as long as I have gives me relationships with my dispatchers and such that they know me. Makes a difference I think. Get to know the folks that run you and learn their priorities and let them get to know you. But, that's a topic for another post.
Anyway, every driver has to figure out what balance works for them and if you're gonna last longer than a year, I think it's essential.
Best of luck to you!!!

 

Let me put your mind at ease. The 14 and 70 hour clock will be the bane of your existence as long as you are doing OTR driving. There is no easy way to avoid it. Some say use the 8 point whatever over the 8 days, but in all honesty, if you are a company driver you are tied to those pickup and delivery appointments. When the 70 is gone you MUST shut it down until you either finish a 34 or get some recap hours back. I had many situations during my career when I told dispatch I was NOT available and was shutting down. I was driving before the 34 hour reset was added to part 395. I remember many arguments with dispatch because I got some time after a day. Oh, mike go get this load it won't take but a few minutes, and bring it to the yard. Then you can go back and take another day off. You must learn to tell dispatch NO. If they won't leave you alone call safety. I stood inside a carrier's operations room when the main safety man entered and started cussing a dispatcher.

Edited to add: You would be better off just logging a HOS violation over filing a false log. PLEASE don't ever do that.