Hotshots Requesting Accurate Info From DOT Officers Who May be Here...

I have to respectfully disagree with you GMAN. I will again use the words "supporting documents" to make my case. CAT scale tickets are supporting docs thus they are required. Toll receipts most definately are required. I could go on and on but I believe I have made my point.

I'll bet in the event of an audit if the receipts aren't there that's an epic fail. I highly doubt there's a do over in a month after the carrier attempts to collect the missing receipts.

I sat across the desk from an auditor in 1992 when the carrier i was leased to was audited. It was an extremely enlightening experience and one that I would prefer not to experience again. While none of us were fined (we all could have been) the Motor Carrier was. If you think having a scale guy go through your log book with their copy of PC Miler being used as a reference tool is a bit scarey, try sitting across from a USDOT auditor AFTER he's done his homework!

 

I understand what you are both saying. As far as I know CAT scale tickets are not required documentation, although it might come in handy if the truck was close on weights. It could prove that he was legal on weight. I don't believe that times are recorded on scale tickets, although it could prove that you were at a certain location on a certain date. I don't know that it is required for a carrier to collect CAT scale tickets from owner operators who are leased to them.

I don't run hotshots and am just commenting from my observations. I did own a daycab once and was asked for motel receipts when I was inspected. It has been so many years ago that I don't recall much about the conversation. I do remember that I didn't receive a ticket nor was I put out of service for not having a receipt. I think that this is one of those things that are more at the discretion of the DOT officer.

 

If you show stopping at a truckstop scale and weighing, then that paper is a supporting document. Plus, you want it for business expenses.

 

You are right but I have never shown stopping at a truck stop to get a scale ticket. It is required if you want to use it for tax purposes, but won't do anything to support your times or logs other than you were at that location on a particular day.

 

I am not a hot shot driver but I drive a day cab. I would like to know the answer to this as well. I dont always have a motel receipt as I sometimes sleep on site in a mt bunk house. I hate the fact that we have to prove where we've been. So much for innocent till proven guilty we as drivers have to prove were innocent.

 

Again, If there is no requirement to actually STAY IN A MOTEL, then how can you be required to show a motel receipt? If you have a motel receipt, then great! show it. But if I stayed at my girlfriends house, how/why should I get OOS for that? I probably got a hell of a lot better nights sleep there then I did at some fleabag motel anyway...

Seems to me those supporting documents listed can be used to verify I wasn't performing those duties while I was logging "off-duty". That seems reasonable to me.

But this is a job, not a prison sentence. Off-duty should be my business unless it is proven I was performing on-duty tasks.

 

When I first started driving not all otr trucks had sleepers. Many of us would put a board across the seats and sleep. Some would hang a hammock underneath the trailer or sleep in or on the trailer. You would not want to do that due to safety concerns these days. Many things are much easier for drivers these days. I don't recall whether I had a motel receipt even coming up other than the one time that I mentioned in my previous post. Things were much simpler back then. DOT seemed to be more concerned about over weight than anything else. Perhaps they were not as concerned about a light being out or brakes since drivers would usually take care of that themselves. They did get a little excited with speed. Back then we had a lot more triple digit trucks.

 

I would never trust the mail with the only copy . The driver should keep a copy . We use Transflo . The corporate office and our home terminal get the bills immediately .
You can get an in truck scanner for TripPak

 

If you properly log 10 hours off duty then it is noones business what you do during that 10 hours. It is off duty not driving. I may log 10 hours in the sleeper berth, but that doesn't mean that I am sleeping. I rarely sleep more than 5-6 hours per night. Sleeping 8 hours gives me a headache and I will be groggy the rest of the day. I would rather be driving if I am not sleeping or resting, but due to hos I must show at least 10 hours off duty not working or in the sleeper. As long as a driver of a hot shot without a sleeper shows 10 hours off duty then I don't see that the DOT should be able to put the driver oos unless there is a discrepancy in his logs or fuel tickets. If I were in that situation and was put oos, I would fight it. I think that it would be difficult for any DOT officer to justify putting the driver oos without proof that he falsified or otherwise made errors on his log.