Honest logs

I am a newbie to this. I am still a few weeks away from truck driving school. The company I worked for closed its doors without notice, so for me it's time for a career change.
Truck driving will be a complete change from working in the medical field, but it's always something I wanted to do. I know I would be good at it.
I read through alot of posts here and one thing that concerns me is what you call fudging the books. I want to know if there are any truck drivers out there that actually log honestly and if it's even possible to be done.
Without getting all moral, I don't even want to take a career path where I am expected to lie or falsify documentation for someone else. Is this generally expected from every trucking company that you should falsify your log books? BTW..I am slated to work for USA truck when my training is complete. Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

Ok first off it will all depend on WHO you work for and how honest of a person you are.
ALL companies expect you to log it like it is...at least in orientation. Things have a way of changing once you actually get out on the road and are dealing with dispatch.
The fed and the dot will ALWAYS expect you to log legal. Most drivers will tell you to log it legal..wink wink nudge nudge.
Remember that the company will punish you for log book infractions and also know that most companies that have quallcoms match your locations on your logs to the signals the quallcom sends...so "fudging" on a log book is almost impossible to do. The most you can get away with is about 15 minutes here or there....Log it legal and if they tell you differently then look for a new company ,driver

 

Log it Legal, even if your dispatcher or manager wants you to run Hard, your safety department will always tell you to run and log legal. You can fudge 15 minutes or so here and there to make up for a traffic jam or a quick reststop, but remember DOT or a Highway Patrol can back track your progress thru their computer in their car and issue a speeding ticket on distance and time. You should not have to drive always looking of you shoulder. I wish you good luck in your future.
Larry

 

Log it legal and make sure any receipts, toll tickets, scale receipts, fuel receipts,etc,etc match your time and the appropriate duty status in your logbook. Example.. you fuel at 01:00. Make sure your logbook reflects exactly that. If you cheat they will find out because the receipts have the date and time stamped on them.

 

Thanks to everyone for your good advice.

 

If you want to make a good living, we don't fudge. We out right lie. Here most are afraid of stating it like it is. You want to work and not lie, then driving a truck is probably the wrong place. Tell the truth and go broke. Or do what you have to get the load delivered on time.

Every company will tell you they expect you to log it legal, but this is where it becomes gray. It a legal document even if you lie on it, its still legal.

For instance you may leave your house and drive 2 hours pickup your load and they shipper holds you for 3 hours and give you shipping documents that contain no time stamp, you then fuel at the company yard which also does not time stamp. It off for the delivery which is 5 1/2 hours away, you get there and the plant is down and will be for 2 more hours. You unload in 15 minutes and finally grab something to eat at Loves, then head home. You have used 12 3/4 hours of your 14 and 7 1/2 of your 11 drive time. Its noon and are you going to sleep in your truck ?, not me. Your first 3 hours wait turns to 15 minute, your next 2 hour wait turns to 1/2 hour, so now you show 8 1/4 of your 14 used instead of 12 3/4. You now have enough time to get home and spend the evening with your family and sleep in a real bed.

You do not normally get paid for this time anyway, And it also hurts you on your 70 hour clock.

Make the call to your dispatch and tell them your out of hours, and unable to load for tomorrow and see how much you like your pay check.

The truth is here on this board there are alot of arm chair critic's, driver whom are new also, but won't admit. And most of the rest are afraid of some one reaching thru there computer to get them.

Yes, most of us lie in our log books. Even the electronic log books lie about status.

This is an industry that is tough to make it in, few have thick enough skin to handle it. Not to mention there is alot more to worry about then how to log.

Good Luck and God Bless.

 

As Powder Joints points out, sometimes the HOS regs have the opposite effect of what they were intended for - they compel you to drive even when you're bone tired or loose lottsa money AND miss critical loading/delivery appointments.

Do you really need that 4 hour catnap to be safe on the road? Or do you keep on driving, barely aware of whats going on around you, rather than piss off the customer, your dispatcher, and the wife and the kids who expect food on the table again next week!

Or do you make a little adjustment here, move a line there, and voila - you get your nap and get to be on time also.

This is where the questions of ethics and professionalism come into play. Everyone has to make their own decision - but it's guaranteed that you WILL be faced with this decision. It comes with the job.

Whatcha gonna due when it's up to YOU?

 

A;ways be safe, first and formost.

 

That's very good but you conveniently forgot to mention one thing... Qualcomm. If you want to have a career full of lying and cheating, there are those companies out there who don't care about safety. At the same time there are many companies that do care. Most reputable companies want you to run safe and legal, and if you can't run a trip that way because your logbook reflects that, let your dispatcher know ahead of time and this will cut down a lot of b.s and pressure to 'help them out'. Don't do it... because there's a good bet they won't help you they way you help them. I'm no angel and yes I've fixed some stuff before but it's few and far between. Definitely not a habitual thing.

 

Good for you. I don't have a qualcomm, nor would I work for someone who used it for anything more than dispatch. The same is true for e-logs. Won't do it. I left IWX as sonn as they decided to track the drivers with the AS400's. If I'm close to home I am going home, I might have a qualcomm failure. Becareful with the power wires.

Being safe and resting when you need is more important than being accurate on a log book page. Legal is a bad phrase, there all legal, just not all accurate.