DOT and Newbies

If you type in drivers daily log into your search engine and add .com to it the software will come up. It is free to use for the first 2 months then you have to purchase it. By the end of the free trial you will understand your logging.

Mistakes, I made 1 mistake and wouldn't you know that is the week I get stopped for a level one inspection. The mistake I made. I quit driving at 8 p.m. did my post-trip from 8 p.m. until 8:15 pm. I started driving again at 6 a.m.the next morning, 15 minutes short of my 10 hrs. put me in violation for the entire next day of driving. What I did was, unthinkingly, when I went back to driving I did not leave the extra 15 minutes for the post-trip inspection. The officer gave me a violation, but not a ticket as it was an honest mistake and was made 3 days previous to the incident. I could not be put out of service because I had since another 10 hr break. So you have to be careful when calculating your 10 hours off-duty hours.

 

Ive been doing research on the log books because I figure that is where I will have the problems at when I do start driving but hopefully I wont.

The absolute best thing you can do is download the free version of the driversdailylog. It is the best program for logging, with it you will not go into violation. If your company has log sheets you have to use, still use the driversdailylog for double checking your logs.

 

You shouldn't "need" per dot to keep the meal receipts but follow your company policy.

 

It was not company policy. My safety director told us that we were required to show meal receipts to the DOT when requested.

I have a greater knowledge about FMCSR than the average driver since I did this a few years ago. I knew better and let him know it.

He then tried to tell me the IRS required it. Again, he was wrong.

 

The program when you updated the log "before leaving" should of told you that you had a potential log violation. That's one added feature I stress to drivers the program helps tremendously because most 11,14 & 70 hour violations are from drivers shortening that break by 15-30 minutes.

Play with it. There might be a setting you have to select for it to tell you.
If you take your 10 hour break (or 9.75) and once you click it to driving it should in the remark section (of the computer screen) say 14 hour violation. Or maybe a S on the computer screen letting you know that you might be able to split.

Just letting you know it should be telling you this! So you know what did I do and you go back and count that break and wow by the time you find it the 15 minutes is up so change it. l.o.l.

 

Or you could since you have a computer/internet anyhow just view the regulations on line



http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/

Look at the search and bring the drop down tool and you can search driver, company regulations etc.

I love this ! I do not use that book anymore