E Log question

And postings on this forum are gospel according to the FMCSA?

 

I don't think any of us listen to what the FMCSA says.

 

The FMCSA basically says that any time loading or unloading or waiting is to be logged as On Duty, *unless* the Carrier relieves you of all duty.
So if you are sitting waiting for your name to be called on the CB, On Duty.

If you are in the sleeper bunk, and they will bang on the door or call your cell, SB.

If you are allowed to get out and walk away, Off Duty.

Some carriers or shippers will require you to attend the truck the whole time, but a lot of live loads they don't allow the driver to do anything, which means they can go off duty or Sleeper.

 

I asked a Oklahoma DOT officer about this a few months ago, after receiving a level 2 roadside inspection. I told him that I log sleeper if I'm waiting to get loaded (I haul frac sand), even if I've scaled in. I'll arrive, scale in (15 minutes on the log), then hit the sleeper. He said that's perfectly legal, "but", he said, "why would you want to? It doesn't save any of your daily hours." I told him it may not save my 14 but it sure helps on my 70. He grinned and said "yeah, I guess it would."

I've done it like this for years. Been inspected several times. Always clean, and usually get a comment on how neat my logs look. I've come to realize that, if a guy will spend a little time and keep things neat and easy to read, it goes a long way with an officer during an inspection. Look like you spent some time on it, make it look right, no obvious funky/questionable stuff, they look at it, maybe break out the calculator for a minute or two, see that you weren't logging 90 mph, all lines straight with legible handwriting, all important information where it should be, previous 7 days inside clip board, and then figure out it's not worth their time to keep looking for something they aren't going to find, and hand it back with a smile.

 

when I first started driving for tmc back 2 and a half years ago, the one thing my trainer taught me was to always save your 70 as much as possible, because you never know when you'll need the extra hours to get home on

 

Q: Can I unplug my unit from the diagnostic port and let it "catch up" later?
I realize this would cause a descrepency, but my boss would understand.

 

Hum. NICE save. Glad you did not get too deep into this.

 

I usually left enough to reach a drop yard so bobtailing or rental car got home. Maybe I lived a lie but there used to be a provision that bobtailing was personal transport and thus exempt from logging.

 

Can you imagine.

the gooberment eliminating PC.