Log Off Duty Driving Home Empty

As long as you own and run everything its ok to do that then?

 

No, it's not. If you're showing running home empty off duty every week, you're going to get your clock cleaned at audit time. Doing it to go home for vacation of something is one thing, doing it every week is a no-no.

 

Sorry, but the DOT in 9 states so far has stated this and quoted question 26 for support when UNLADEN.

 

So you're saying that every O/O can run out and back and not log the return trip if he's empty?

 

I know guys that have been doing it for months. Getting DOT and nothing said.

Please note, I stated UNLADEN.

 

That's another issue, some say unladen is empty, others that it's bobtail. You do RV's if I remember right?

 

That is correct.

Seems that in the past, there were guys who could bobtail their trucks and not have a problem, but the DOT would go after us for driving the pickup with no log or trailer. It was nothing more than money.

Contacts were made concerning the definition for CMV and the empty pickup.

Finally, they are stating the comments as above.

What I can see is that we do not own the trailers so we cannot argue the empty versus unladen issue with them.

I see no reason an owner operator with their own trailer would not be able to use this as well.

 

I sure wish this was more clean. I work for a 3 truck company and we regularly run home empty 100-600 miles. My boss owns all of the trucks and trailers and has his own authority. We have discussed running home off duty but were a little nervous about it.

 

I'll bet he says this.....