Bobtailing to motel

I have been checked twice. Once in N Kansas City and once in central Iowa. Only the LEO in NKC was confused. He made a call to his superior while I waited in the truck, then came back, told me to have a nice day, I told him the same and drove away.

It can be a sticky issue, depending on LEO, if one is pulling even an empty trailer. Iowa LEO's I know frown on that as legitimate off duty driving. Bobtail, no problem.

 

It's section 395.8 personal transportation. No logging ####. In my day it's 4 lines on that log book plus a card in wallet declaring to DOT, Police etc that when authorized by dispatch that bobtail becomes my personal car and RV (Provided I have a chemical toilet inside) for however long. I used to bobtail everywhere, motels too.

Probably will still do it if I had one to run in. Beats flying as far as Im concerned.

 

It turns out just fine as long as you using it how it is intended to be used.

 

Yeppes. Actually going to a hotel is one of the two very specific uses of off duty driving, the other being restaurants in the area.

-Steven

 

I was talking with a guy that does the pickup/RV transport thing. He lives in Iowa, is required to log when he yanks the trailers to dealers. He does a standard thing each week... leaves house, logs time to go get trailer in Indiana, then logs taking it to Texas. Then uses off duty driving to drive all the way back home in Iowa and takes a day or two off at home. He has been stopped a few times and checked and never had any issues. The FMCSA guidance does show that using the vehicle to go home is a legitimate use. Kinda stretching the edge of the envelope as to whether fits inside the intended purpose of off duty driving, but no DOT seems to mind.

 

DOT DOES mind and drivers HAVE been busted for long distance to home. On pc.

 

Ive bobtailed a thousand miles home a time or two. DOT could care less.

Generous of the company to spend a little fuel. Im pretty sure they got the money out of paycheck lol. And that was ok.

 

I guess you didn't read my entire post... I clearly stated this guy I was talking about has been stopped numerous times and checked, and has had no issues with any LEO. And it is the LEO that does the enforcement, not a dweeb at FMCSA. And no LEO has had any issue with him using PC to go all the way home empty. I never said it was what the FMCSA approves of, but DOT enforcement sure hasn't thus far. I have never pulled off something like multi state drive to house, but I have driven almost 200 miles PC, and have been checked, and I have never had a citation. As was stated, if done with some common sense applied, it usually is not a problem. Only one time it was questioned when stopped, and the LEO called his superior to get guidance, and let me go with no citation.

 

That guy better not get stopped at a Maryland scale with a empty trailer. DOT here consider PC a short distance. How short is where the debate comes in, but from NJ to NC doesn't fly here.

 

That would be the same as what I said about Iowa. LEO's in Iowa frown on PC with a empty trailer. Bobtail, they could care less. And the pickup RV transporter I referenced, the pickup is purely "bobtail" going home.

While the FMCSA comments on using PC do reference short distance as a factor in going to hotel, to get a bite to eat, etc, it doesn't really address distance in regards to going home.

Here is an analysis of LEO views on this at the FMCSA/Wisconsin DOT conference a couple of years ago.....

At last year's FMCSA and Wisconsin State Patrol Update, officials from both those agencies told attendees where their heads are at when it comes to personal conveyance.

In short, law enforcement personnel care about whether the driver or company is using personal conveyance to circumvent an 11-,14-, or 70-hour violation. (Yet another reason why you have to know the ins and outs of the Hours of Service!)

If an enforcement officer judges that the personal conveyance exemption is being used to avoid an 11-,14-, or 70-hour violation, then the personal conveyance exemption is not recognized as legit.