Off duty vs repositioning HOS

I got busted on this issue several months ago because the DOT man said I was repositioning for a load and I had it logged as bobtail off duty. Simply put yes, technically I was positioning myself but on the other hand I left 2 days early so I could visit with family in the area then after day 2 I picked up my load. I know about all of my loads weeks in advance since I am the one who schedules most of them so technically I guess anything I do could be considered repositioning and needs to be logged if this is how they want to act about it.

For loads that I have to drive towards my base I have started to have my office send me an official dispatch via email when I am a few hours from my base so that I can claim that I just received the dispatch then I start logging on duty time.

So does this satisfy the requirements or not??? Yes I know that this is trying to beat the system but I have heard of large companies doing the same thing with their drivers.



Thanks for your input,
Smitty

 

IF a driver has no knowledge until he gets an official call from the dispatch and he was bobtail before the call this should not matter... Right?

This is how we have started to operate here because I have heard other drivers talking about how their company will dispatch them when they are near an area where they need to pickup another load (most of the drivers that I have heard from say that they had no prior knowledge of the other load). Granted, I have knowledge of most of the loads unless they are spur of the moment but the DOT man has no way to prove what I do or do not have prior knowledge of as long as I don't tell him....

Scenario.... Driver is bobtail coming from FL headed to his home in VA.... Dispatch calls him when he hits the VA line less than 45mins away from him arriving at his house and tells him he has a load to pick up in 6hrs in MD (about 3hrs from his current location).... The driver goes on duty at that point and drives to pickup the load.... (he had no prior knowledge of the MD load)..... All of his hours headed home should not count against him regardless of whether or not the company knew about the load. This is the way I understand it..... This should be no different even if he went home then got the call....

 

Shutting my mouth is a good policy, because it did get me in trouble that day....