Sign your logbook at the beginning or the end of the day?

and once again this is why the large companies are wanting E-logs. No muss, no fuss, no need to train.

 

Here is the actual regulation:

(7) Signature/certification. The driver shall certify to the correctness of all entries by signing the form containing the driver's duty status record with his/her legal name or name of record. The driver's signature certifies that all entries required by this section made by the driver are true and correct.

As you can see it does not specify when it is to be signed. I would make the case that it has to be signed at the beginning of the day, before any entries are made, that way, as you make entries during the course of the day which are required(last change of duty status), you certify they are true and correct as you go.
Otherwise, you could make all sorts of false entries and never be accused of fraudulent logging that day because you had not signed the log book yet, because you had not certified that they are in fact "true and correct"

But, the man with the badge and the gun has the advantage at the scale, but he loses that advantage in a court of law, which is where this should go.

 

Interesting points on both sides.

I would say "signed at time of presentation"

While I agree with the "legal document" argument, I have often signed a legal document I was making prior to completing it simply because I had a moment to do so. Since I was the one creating the document, I knew what was being written was witnessed by myself.
Take a bill of sale for instance. You write the whole thing and sign it, but leave the price blank pending negotiation. At the time of sale you fill that in and attest to it by *handing over* the attested to document.

...etc.

Bottom line... it should only need to be signed prior to *submitting" it.

 

@Studebaker Hawk How can the entries be true and correct when you haven't made them yet? The only time you can really say the entries are true at the beginning of the day is if you fill out the log then go off duty for the duty. Otherwise every time to make a change (like going from driving to on duty, or off duty) then the log is now not true as from the time of signing.

-Steven

 

USA requires signature at end of day.
Canada requires at beginning

 

Why would ANYONE sign something, that hasn't even been filled in or completed for the day??????

That's just asking for trouble. It may not be in the regulations. But still a DUMB thing to do.

Signing something without the details filled in.

Does one go out and sign all the papers for a car loan without the details filled in??? A house, boat, credit card???? Whatever????

 

I agree fully!!!
Just common sence really...

 

Canada requires your pre-trip inspection to be documented before you start driving and it must be signed before you start driving the United States is the opposite the United States requires you to fill out your inspection report at the end of your shift

 

That's because in Canada your supposed to do a pretrip at the beginning of your day and sign it.
Then at the end of your day your required to do a post trip and sign it.

I don't know anybody that signs there log book at the beginning of there day.

 

Not correct.

Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations (SOR/2005-313)

82. Content of Daily Logs

(3) At the end of each day, the motor carrier shall require that the driver records and the driver shall record the total hours for each duty status and the total distance driven by the driver that day, excluding the distance driven in respect of the driver’s personal use of the vehicle, as well as the odometer reading at the end of the day and sign the daily log attesting to the accuracy of the information recorded in it.

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2005-313/page-5.html#h-41
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