Paper Log Distance to Time Question DOT

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Damaged_Goods, Jan 25, 2017.

  1. Damaged_Goods

    Damaged_Goods Light Load Member

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    If an officer is going thru your paper logs; Do they look your drive time and distance from city to city to determine a estimated MPH figure.? and if they do I would imagine, for example, if they saw that I say left Texarkana, TX at 8 am and then was stopped in Memphis, TN at 3.5 hrs later (11:30 am) then it would appear like I was traveling like 80 mph. Since a more reasonable time would be like 4.25/4.5 hrs. Even with a plus or minus 15 min leeway (-15) at 3.75 hrs that puts me at 75 mph avg. I would be considered speeding. So do I get a Violation or Ticket for speeding....or both.? or perhaps they will just log it as violation noting that 8 am was NOT the feasible departure time?

    Also, can they tell if the Truck is "Governed" and what speed? Like my Truck is Governed at 70, Therefore, it would be impossible for me to go 75 plus MPH and would they then cite me for incorrect departure time....

    Also would they check each every drivetime/distance measurement the past 7 plus days?

    >>And, of course, in above scenario I actually left Texarkana at 7 am. (but didn't tell them that)

    Just asking cause occasionally I would find myself, you know. running close to the 11/14 clock and I would "fudge" the time a little.

    (I Know, I know that's why you keep 2 logs, that's what I hear, anyway....not from this site, though....I don't get any law breaking advice in this forum from anybody, No siree! )
     
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  3. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    They could, but back in my paper days, I don't recall anyone ever putting a calculator to any of my entries. If you put Erie, PA, there's no way of them knowing if maybe you were 5 miles northeast of Erie, or 5 miles southwest of Erie, but you would still have made the same location entry, and that's roughly a 10 minute differential. Drivers fudge all the time and the CMV cops know it and halfway expect it and as such don't see much need in trying to write up an infraction that's typically impossible to prove.

    As far as the speed thing, you can revert back to above. But no, they don't know how fast your truck can run and don't really care, however, if they are set up at Texola, OK and your last location/entry was "start driving Amarillo" at "08:00" and you're there at the scale-master desk at 09:00, that might attract some attention.
     
  4. Gunner75

    Gunner75 Road Train Member

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    I've always ran under elogs, however my dad has always ran under paper and his words are do not ever log your trips faster than 70mph in the Midwest and 63mph East of i75. I know it's different for everyone but that's how he's always done it
     
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  5. scottlav46

    scottlav46 Road Train Member

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    I've had calculator applied to my coloring book a few times. I always passed due to advice identical to the previous poster. One time in eastern Montana there were three of us that the scale cat pulled in. Evidently the guy ahead of me had one helluva motor set up cuz he had made the journey up from Idaho doing 127 miles per hour. I had a SUPER hard time not bustin up laffin but the scalecop was lookin feisty so I waited til I was gone.
     
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  6. not4hire

    not4hire Road Train Member

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    Yes, they will. I was written a violation at a scale in Lima, MT for a portion of my trip in CA--SLO to Bakersfield. Ironically, he was wrong... that time.
     
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  7. Mark Kling

    Mark Kling Technology Contributor

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    Texarkana, Texas to Memphis, TN = 278 miles/3.5 = 79.42 mph... so what is the posted speed limit???
     
  8. snowwy

    snowwy Road Train Member

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    I don't see how anyone could log 63 mph back in the day when average speed in them weak trucks was probably 40 or less.

    I averaged 53 in a dd15 rated at 515. On the west coast.

    Course, I know guys actually logging 75. From tremonton ut. To Los Angeles. 750 miles roughly. 10 hours.
     
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  9. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    Yep. They do break out the calculator. Had it done a couple of times. Never an issue. I log it as I do it. If I need to "amend" at the end of the day I make sure my times correlate to equal or less than the speed limit.
     
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  10. striker

    striker Road Train Member

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    Combined scale Mt/Wyo in Sheridan, Wyo did it to me once. I've also had them ask how fast my truck is gov. at, and I can tell you it's not worth it to lie. I usually tell them 77 mph, and like Lepton, I log it as I do it. Spend enough time in Wyo., and you'll notice there are a lot of Wyo. based trucks that can 80 to 85 mph, there is a tanker company that I see capable of running 80 mph empty or loaded.
     
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  11. Marcus_from_Lafayette

    Marcus_from_Lafayette Bobtail Member

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    Why you won't answer me about P&B Scott. WTF . I thought we were cool.
     
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