Elog and bobtail questions

Assuming you meet the FMCSA guidance, company policy and ELD programming allows it, then it can be done as personal conveyance. Some ELDs have it as a "line 5" option.

Question 26: If a driver is permitted to use a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) for personal reasons, how must the driving time be recorded?

Guidance:

a driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work, time spent traveling from a driver’s home to his/her terminal (normal work reporting location), or from a driver’s terminal to his/her home, may be considered off-duty time. Similarly, time spent traveling short distances from a driver’s en route lodgings (such as en route terminals or motels) to restaurants in the vicinity of such lodgings may be considered off-duty time. The type of conveyance used from the terminal to the driver’s home, from the driver’s home to the terminal, or to restaurants in the vicinity of en route lodgings would not alter the situation unless the vehicle is laden. A driver may not operate a laden CMV as a personal conveyance. The driver who uses a motor carrier’s Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) for transportation home, and is subsequently called by the employing carrier and is then dispatched from home, would be on-duty from the time the driver leaves home.

A driver placed out of service for exceeding the requirements of the hours of service regulations may not drive a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) to any location to obtain rest.

- Regulations Section​

 

True,, but if they have a trailer ...

Using the information that is in the interpretation above and in the definition of “on duty” and the corresponding interpretation found in Section §395.2, the following conditions of personal conveyance can be extrapolated.

• The vehicle must be unladen.
• Movement is of a “short” distance solely for personal use.
• The driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work.
• The driver is relieved of all duty and responsibility for the care and custody of the vehicle, its accessories, and any cargo or passengers it may be carrying.
• The driver must be at liberty to pursue activities of his/her own choosing.
• No work should be done until the driver is ready to return to duty.

 

You do understand what "bobtail" means?

 

Yes, because it would be difficult to understand without yelling.

I'd imagine that you would have to start your ten hour break on line one,off duty. I don't think you could do it if you started your break on line two without out falsifying your logs. The elogs may even move you from line two to line one and keep you there.

 

If you're a company driver most likely the company will not give you the option to move your tractor unless it is logged Drive time.

If you're a lease op or owner op, you could do it and even transport alcohol in your tractor off duty unladen.