personal conveyance thread

One way or round trip?

 

round trip, well per day. I don't really care if you come back to where you started.

 

FMCSA has not defined "short distance", neither has my agency.

How far would you be willing to drive your big rig unladen from your "enroute lodgings" just to get a bite to eat? That is the application of the phrase in the interpretation.

Folks get carried away with the "short distance" thing, thinking they can deadhead to the next load that way. No. Sorry.

 

So can you drop the trailer, go home for the weekend and then go back to the trailer to start another cycle, calling those miles/time PC? You're not commuting to and from the terminal, or going out to eat. Also, after becoming unladen, can you bounce home and call it PC? Again you're not going to eat or commuting to the terminal. Both examples discussed in this thread as legit uses of PC, but examples that are contrary to Scalemaster's 2 situations. This is apparently a much narrower allowance than some are wanting it to be.

 

Nope.

Commuting home on PC is only mentioned in the interpretation as to and from the "terminal (normal work reporting location)". It is not deadheading from the last drop or bobtailing from some lot where the trailer gets parked.

PC is being pushed all out of shape by folks who want to make it something that it is not. 395.8 interpretations question 26 is not open ended and does not say "for example", it specifically outlines ONLY THOSE TWO uses for PC.

 

Thank You Scalemaster.

 

While interpreation (NOT regulation) does not use the words "for example" it doesn't use the word "only" either. Drivers logged off duty are exempt from FMCSR.
Another interpretation even stated drivers using PC could stop and buy and carry alcohol.

 

so, scalemaster, let me pose this. you own the truck and the trailer, you dont run out of a terminal. you find loads and leave from your home, which in essence is your base of operations, to go get a load. you stay out three weeks. then decide to go home , empty and unladen to your home/ or base as it is. under those guidelines you could return home on p/c .

thats what some entirely miss when saying what can and cant be done under p/c. some of us dont drop our trailer on some lot, some of us drive that baby right up on our property .

that is a different deal.

scalemaster, i would also surmise that the guys you might snare , only mention p/c after you have stopped them and had conversation, how many have you stopped that already had it noted on their logs as soon as they whipped out the log book.

and thats the trouuble with regulations, they are writtne saying one thing in plain language, then someone wants to interpret them in a guidance to read what they think they should read.

 

The interpretations issued by FMCSA are entered into the Federal Register, printed in the regs, and carry the same weight as regulation. They are issued to further define and refine regulation.

Do not read words into regulations or interpretations that are not there. It doesn't need to say "only". It ONLY says what it says, nothing more.

Quite so. For the alcohol and PC see 392.5 interpretations question 3.

 

The good news is that it will become regulation as more and more companies use it incorrectly. Eventually the issue will be addressed in full and definitions will be added to clear up the misunderstandings.