Logging legal question for LogsRUs

1. Driver is sitting in Anytown, USA waiting for load assignment. Not currently dispatched on a load. Has dropped/unloaded previous load. I would log it as line 1 off duty not driving or line 2 sleeper to save driving/on duty hours. Is this the best way?


Legally, if you are "sitting" waiting to be dispatched, you are "on-duty not driving". Now!!!! I don't and really don't know any drivers who log this on the bottom line. I either log it in the sleeper or off duty. But, as I said, legally you are considered "on-duty".


2. Driver is at shipper. Live load. Told to wait till there is an open dock. Driver is told that A) he will be contacted on CB; or B) someone will come out and get him when a dock is open; or C) or he can wait in their break room and they will let him know when he can bump the dock. I would probably have logged it as line 1 or line 2, just to save hours. What is company policy?

Company policy does not in anyway alter the Federal Law, and again we go back to what I posted to your first question. Legally, you are considered "on duty not driving". Do I log it as such, certainly not!



3. Driver is at shipper. Live load. Driver has been told that it will take approximately X amount of hours to load his trailer. Driver is not required to watch/count/verify the loading process. Dock supervisor tells driver he can go hang out in the break room, or go hang out in his truck and they will let him know when loading is done. I would log this as line 1 or line 2 to save driving/on duty hours. Company compliant?

Again the answer is the same as the first two.


4. Driver is at receiver for unload. Live unload. Same scenario as instance 2 or 3. What is company policy?

Company policy might vary from company to company, but the Federal Regs. stay the same and again, legally you are "on duty not driving".

Now after all this, it really doesnt matter, with the exception of going against your 70 hours, how you log it because the 14 hour clock still keeps ticking and after 14 you are "dead" anyway.

 

Just to mention, until Logs' actually stops by for the real answers,
My company's policy is that you cannot log off-duty if you're on shipper or consignee's property. you can sleeper-berth. but if you hang out in a company's break room, you're not in the sleeper-berth, therefore are on-duty.

 

He drove local for almost ten years. He did a log book every day and was subject to the 11/14/70 rules

I beg to different with you here. The 11/14 hours of service have only been in place for a little over a couple of years. He certainly did not log ten years ago under the 11/14 rule. But that is neither here or there.

It doesn't matter during a day's work if he logs his time loading or unloading "on duty" or "off duty", once his starts his day by dropping down to the bottom line, 14 hours later he is "dead". Once you get into "splitting" you are only asking for trouble, stay away from trying to "split", it will only get him into trouble sooner or later.

 

I tend to agree with the off duty or sleeper berth, but it seems to me that if they are keeping you busy, you may need to be creative. The way I understand it to read is, to be off duty you must be out of the drivers seat and free from the duty of the truck, if your in the breakroom I think that qualifies as off duty and that is how I would log it. The last OTR co I was with, when in those situations, I would clarify the dispatch with a direct question. You want me to be there at xx time on xx day, the answer was always yes, with the Qualcom on board they know as well as you do that there is no way you can make that run legally. Sometimes it made more sense to just stay parked until you can make it happen legal, although that was with a temp. DM, once you get with your regular DM they can be more demanding and usually are. I think that there are days when that logbook is pretty much of a joke. So if I log it legal, can I keep my job? I think that varies with the company and if you are in good standing with the company. I don't care for the way the system works, seems you run like you have no sense or you sit and wait. I am going to try some regional local this time to see if it gets any better then that. drive55cat

 

Your hubby is doing fine except he is not logging line 4 for post-trip inspections. Where he works we follow the DOT regs and the post-trip is the main inspection by dot. this is the inspection that should take you some time (actually probably 30 minutes, but all I can say is a minimum of 15 minutes.

It seemed he was doing ok at a quick glance and I started to qualcom him but got really busy and thought I would tell you!

Remember DRIVERS & Mr & Mrs Wilson: Everything you do that involves work (not driving) will take a minimum of 15 minutes. Can I prove it took longer by documentation or is DOT watching your moves and then pull you over (it has happened that way). So that's the most SIMPLIEST way I can put logging line 4.

I could prove you scaled for 30 minutes if you weighed and then reweighed and one ticket says you weighed # 12:00 and the re-weigh says you weighed # 12:30, now I have proof you spent 30 minutes weighing that load and that's what I or DOT would expect you to log!

Does this clarify? Did he get in trouble with one of my girls/guy?

It's very rare you should log off duty while loading/unloading. Off duty means you are free to do as you please and the company allows you to log off duty for personal reasons (we do, but some companies don't).

I want to add these was VERY VERY GOOD QUESTIONS! Many drivers need to know these answers!

 

Your answers are correct from the drivers point, however read mine and this is the way to do it the correct way! GO TO THE SLEEPER AT ANY TIME YOU CAN AND THAT would mean you are logging legal! If you can't go to the sleeper it SHOULD be on line 4.
Just because you log SLEEPER doesn't mean you are sleeping. You can hear that radio in the sleeper, right? If so go there!

 

Split breaking is an AWESOME tool to understand and use! It's the easiest thing to do also! I mean you have to learn it, but honestly once you do you will be like darn I didn't realize it was this easy and wow I could have made 100 deliveries legally or I could have made that load I refused because I didn't know how to split break. Or it could be more for those drivers who like to take a break during the day (2 hours at least) and then only stop for 8 instead of 10, however you must understand what you can drive after that 8, which is very very very easy to do! The driving time prior to the 8 hour break is still counting towards your 11.
So you drive 6 take a 2 hour break (shower/eat/rest) and then when your 14 is up you take an 8 hour break, now you only have 5 hours to drive but hey stop take a break (eat/rest/call wifey and spend time talking to her and then you have 6 hours to drive. I mean its really easy if you study my split breaking sheet over and over and get the basics and then look further to the thread I started on showing some logging examples you will get it and will be happy you DID GET IT! For some anyhow!

I can't stress enough how easy it is to do once you learn it and open them brain waives (like I had to do