braking the rules? or suck it up?

I had a trainer very similar to TruckerDragon. Made me comfortable with the arguably necessary fudges while remaining legal. As he explained, the DOT and the company allow you so much tolerance in each rule/law. It is the driver's responsibility to decide for himself/herself how strictly they need to adhere to each of them (ie: logs, vehicle inspections, multitasking). Whatever choices you make, never sacrifice safety; only the driver knows when he/she is too distracted or tired.

 

I get asked by my students why I log post trips and don't do a whole lot.
Well it's like this... If my brake shoes were legal last week when I checked, I doubt very much they have worn down to less than a quarter inch, unless something happened like smoking them.
I check my fluids when I fuel. If they were OK three hours ago, they're fine now.
My tire tread was great last week. I didn't burn it all off in 4,000 miles.
I used my wipers today and they were fine. My guages were working 10 minutes ago before I parked.
And there isn't any broken glass.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
Most of your inspection items are checked all day long. You don't have to crawl around in the dark to see these things.
So I can do a post trip for the important items in a few minutes, but I have to post a half hour to make people happy.
I can check my lights, tire pressures (yes, with a guage) and see if something was leaking under my engine in the morning in a very few minutes.
good pre trip.
As you become experienced, you'll see these things. I'm not unsafe. But I have to be
'creative' once in a while just to make things work.
capice?

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. Anyone who says they do a full pre trip by the book before every trip is FOS. I check the major stuff, do a quick walk around and go. I don't need to check the oil every day, it doesn't burn any and if it leaks out 9gal I'm pretty sure I don't need a dipstick to tell me, the coating of oil on everything will be apparent.

 

It is against the law the move a truck with a person in the top bunk.

 

Show me that in the green book.....

 

I believe that is company policy and not law.

 

Oh, well if its not law then it should be. All the rocking and shaking the truck does on the highway is very unsafe for anybody to be sitting on the top bunk, let alone sleeping in it while the truck is moving. But anyway, the driver was wrong for even getting in the top bunk anyway if he was teaming with a trainer. The truck has to move on both shifts. I fault the driver that got up in the top knowing that the truck has to move.

 

Not putting too fine a point on it, but you gonna sleep in another man's bed?

 

Wow, I have to agree that it should be illegal. Better to sleep in another man's bed than end up dead... Anyway, do you not think other men have slept on the top bunk? Use a sleeping bag.

 

Do the top bunks not come equipped with straps anymore?