Falisfy or log a violation?

If there were a reduction/amnesty for voluntary disclosure...


In the absense of that, my logs are perfect.

 

In this video a law professor/former criminal defense attorney and a police detective offer their advice to a law class... never talk to the police.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc[/ame]

 

Did anyone know that the fine in Cali for not having/showing your LOG is cheaper than falsifying or beinging NOT updated ?

 

It was the same in many jurisdictions in the past. Drivers getting pulled in at a scale would just say, "oops, i forgot my log book at the last truck stop when I was updating it."



Or so I have been told.

 

Yes you are !!! Your worse than the DOT man. What happen, you didn't pass the DOT exam ? So now your trying to be a wannabe....

 

I believe I've posted this before, but 3 1/2 years ago, my wife and I teamed for Covenant, and we parked alongside another Covenant team when all the trucks got corralled into the rest area at the 182 on 40 in AZ.

I chatted with the cops who were doing my inspection... and one came walking over to join the others... he asked a cop if I had my logbook. My guy said "yes, why?". The other cop said that the Covenant guy (guy was driving, his wife was in the sleeper)... COULDN'T FIND his logbook... but had just fueled at Lake Havasu.

Wife doesn't have available hours... and his book is missing. they were shut down, big ticket.

 

The situation changes from roadside inspections to the Feds coming into the terminal for an audit. The roadside troopers would have a difficult time finding out if a log was false unless it was obvious. For them you could probably blow smoke till the cows come home. If they catch you at the time the violation is occurring they shut you down for 10. Maybe a citation as well. If it's days later then they put it on the inspection form earning you points on CSA. Rarely have I seen a citation go with it when its found in past logs.

If it's the Feds at the headquarters of your company going thru stuff then false logs are very easy to find as the company must provide any and all supporting documentation. In this case over hours is better than fasification hands down. Because when they discover the false log that is hiding a violation it's a double whammy false log + violation. Which raises the percentages against you and the company causing much more harm than good. And of course there is the question of how far in violation is it?

Little bits of over hours again and again (poor planning) is a problem and so is gross amounts of time exceeding the HOS limits (FATIGUE). But a few (less than 3) violations in 1 month (30-days) of logs is below the 10% threshold that is expected of motor carriers and it's drivers.

Think about it no one is perfect. And **IT happens in trucking.
It is those that find themselves in trouble over and over again that wind up hurt for their inability to stay out of it. Not those that strive to do the right things out on the road!

 

Hey, it's like trying to pay the toll at an exit when you didn't pick up a ticket at the point you got on the toll road. You get to pay the toll for the whole road... and then somehow submit documentation that you only got on a few miles back.

 

I know it used to be that way everywhere. Back in the late 70's and into the early 80's, I always carried a blank log book with the front neatly filled out. When asked for my logbook that is what I gave them. This is the way I was taught by the outlaws that trained me. A no logbook ticket was cheaper than a violation for every mistake you made by a LEO having a bad day. It helped that they didn't put you Out of Service in those days.