sleeper requirements

Good idea. Get it all figured out prior to departure with your first load... I see lots of Hot Shots put out of service at the scales... Lots of them...

 

Sorry, didnt mean to lump you in with toms, dicks, or harrys.

Back to your question..... the answer is simple..... yes, you can sleep is the rear seat. Simply log as off duty. Nothing else.

 

The answer is in the regulation. Off duty time means not having any responsibility to the vehicle, cargo or the company. If you are in a hotel room, then you would log "off duty". If you would have to tend to the vehicle, cargo for some reason, during the 10 hours, then your "off duty' time would technically been interrupted, and you would have to start your "off duty" time all over.

You cannot log "Sleeper Berth" time unless you're actually in one that meets the requirements.

 

You have been given straight answers. Moses have come down from the steeps with the gospel of sleeper carved in stone down to one ton trucks. The same Gospel Mr Local DOT will parrot to you.

 

I would advise to just get the correct sleeper installed. If you plan to spend a lot of time away with the truck, in the long run, you are better off. If you don't have a sleeper don't use line 2 of the logs, use line 1. It's not like there are DOT cops hiding behind trees with binoculars watching you if you did do it. At some point, though a DOT cop is going to ask. Get the right sleeper, the right bedding and you will sleep much better anyway. My advice? Get a sleeper!

Edited: I am not a tax expert, but I would almost be willing to bet the cost of installing a sleeper is a tax-deductable business expense.

 

Good question. There may be people posting unseen on my end. Ill look into it.

 

I am not trying to be sarcastic, but just drive the truck. When you are not driving you are "off" fuelling or in the scale house you are "on". It is not hard, just common sense. Don't over think it, not many scales I don't get called into. Just keep the e-log honest and you won't have a problem. Have never been asked about "off" or "sb". The pic is just to show what I am usually dealing with.

 

Run an ELD and you won’t be a red flag like running paper. Just log off duty since you can’t log sleeper. It’s not that big of deal. Most of the time I log off duty anyway, and I have never been questioned since the rule change. And only one time prior to that in 2009 I had to show motel receipts while running a spare daycab for a week while my regular truck was in the shop.

In the long run you’ll probably want the extra room that a sleeper provides, but for now just get to work and sleep in the back seat. Or get something with fold-flat rear seats and get some memory foam cut for a make-shift mattress.

 

No, it's easy to answer and I did. Simply look at what On-Duty is and if you are not On Duty or Driving, you are Off Duty or Sleeper Berth. As you have no Sleeper Berth the only option becomes Off Duty.

Here is the full definition of On Duty from eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations

Driving time means all time spent at the driving controls of a commercial motor vehicle in operation.

On-duty time means all time from the time a driver begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work. On-duty time shall include:

(1) All time at a plant, terminal, facility, or other property of a motor carrier or shipper, or on any public property, waiting to be dispatched, unless the driver has been relieved from duty by the motor carrier;
(2) All time inspecting, servicing, or conditioning any commercial motor vehicle at any time;
(3) All driving time as defined in the term driving time;
(4) All time in or on a commercial motor vehicle, other than:

(i) Time spent resting in or on a parked vehicle, except as otherwise provided in §397.5 of this subchapter;
(ii) Time spent resting in a sleeper berth; or
(iii) Up to 2 hours riding in the passenger seat of a property-carrying vehicle moving on the highway immediately before or after a period of at least 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth;​

(5) All time loading or unloading a commercial motor vehicle, supervising, or assisting in the loading or unloading, attending a commercial motor vehicle being loaded or unloaded, remaining in readiness to operate the commercial motor vehicle, or in giving or receiving receipts for shipments loaded or unloaded;
(6) All time repairing, obtaining assistance, or remaining in attendance upon a disabled commercial motor vehicle;
(7) All time spent providing a breath sample or urine specimen, including travel time to and from the collection site, to comply with the random, reasonable suspicion, post-crash, or follow-up testing required by part 382 of this subchapter when directed by a motor carrier;
(8) Performing any other work in the capacity, employ, or service of, a motor carrier; and
(9) Performing any compensated work for a person who is not a motor carrier.