Log Books

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/hos/index.htm

 

the current day and the previous 8 days. if you use a binded log book, then you will have the current month. i run loose leaf and only display what is required by law. dont give the DOT any more information than required by law. if you do, you are asking for them to look and see if they can give you a ticket.

 

If you can/want to run "loose-leaf", whatever you do, keep your days in some sort of orderly fashion. i.e don't hand him 3 wadded up days, out of order, than scrounge up another 5 crinkled up days that may or may not be in order and hand those to him. With a lot of CMV enforcement guys, if you are johnny on the spot with your logs and they are neat and in order, they won't even hardly give them a second look.

For the new guys on paper logs (are there any?), log penmanship and learning how to write legibly is important. A sloppy log that looks like it was written in while driving down a bumpy mountain trail in a Willys jeep and/or illegible penmanship is an open invitation to heavy scrutiny.

 

using a ruler is a great way to keep them clean and print clearly! I have had my logs inspected numerous times and have never been dinged. many times they have suggested I change the way I logged something, but never a ticket.

 

Fixed it for you.

If you use a bound log book, you can't remove last months book from the truck until you start the 8th day of the new book (current day + 7 previous days). If you run loose leaf, remove all but the 7 previous days + the day you are working on.

You only need 8 TOTAL days in the log book....current day + 7 previous days.

 

If you ever go to Canada you need the past 14 days plus all supporting documents - fax confirmations , toll receipts , fuel receipts , scale tickets , DVIR's and so on .

 

canada must have nothing to do. LOL. i could see that being at least a 2 hour stop

 

I had a Level 2 with e-logs last week that took an hour with two inspectors checking paperwork while another checked the truck.
I run tanker and was empty. They wanted a scale ticket showing how much was left on the truck when I unloaded . Some receivers don't have scales and accept shipper weights.