Bad Advice

No sir...responding to a QC call does not break the cycle. Even if they wake your ### up 3 times during your 10 break.

As long as they don't make a habit of it.

Sucks I know...glad I don't have a QC anymore

 

Absolutely correct...responding to a message is not a portion of responsibility to the load..it may be a responsibility to the company to answer a message, but not a duty responsibility.

As for putting fuel in either the truck or the refer..this is resposibility to the load, you cannot fuel the vehicle and not have responsibility to the "work being performed". If you put fuel on, your log must reflect the change of duty status, therefore breking the sleeper/off duty time. We all know fueling is done on line 4, "on duty, not driving", by flagging you are breaking the duty status change, and yes they will get you on the roadside inspection for this.

Earlier there was a statement about doing 4 things that only require one minute each..what can you be doing that would only take one minute..a pre trip inspection?...a tire check?...a load securement check? Gimme a break! This is a legitimate question as to fueling on a 34 restart. If you are "off duty/sleeper" for 34 hours....face it...you are off duty, nothing else!

 

How about moving your truck 10 feet? Think you can do that in 1 minute?

How about clearing a loading dock for a space by the side of the shipper/receivers property - not going more than say 6/10 of a mile?

The purpose of the HOS is to help us be safe... not totally hamstring commerce.

 

If you move your truck 10 feet, you are staying in the private property area of say a truck stop, or the shipper/receiver...you can legally combine loading/unloading times, and legally combine driving time for say another dock for a part of the load. This you would put in the time BEFORE you take your line to sleeper or off duty.

As to the second part of your question/statement...if you move your rig ONTO a city/county street, you must log the move...even if as you say only 6/10ths of a mile. What if you got hit, or struck a pedestrian, your log has you off duty or sleeper...YOU LOSE.

It is very simple to use common sense with your log book, and legal ways to make logical use of your time. If you only see the duty status change as a tool against you, you aren't using your log wisely. Maybe over thinking the rules, or not knowing the rules can be cause to take some time and figure out how to legally work your log to your advantage. Actually it is very simple, but I am not going to tell you how to cheat, or how to squeeze extra time...I figured it out all on my own...no log violations in 14 years...COMMON SENSE AND LEARNING THE ROPES!

Think about it...6/10ths of a mile......math........

60 mph = 1 mile per minute.

From a standing start, (from a dock, or parked on someones property) no you can't move 6/10ths of a mile in one minute, unless you can do 0-60 in say...7 seconds.

NICE TRY THOUGH!!!

In order to travel 3168 ft in one minute...you must travel at the speed of 52.8 mph from the instant the clock starts.

 

How about this..
I had a pickup at a paper mill in Domino, TX. Checked in with security, was told to go to a staging yard, about half a mile away from the plant. You have to use a public road. 5 hours later, I was called in. Park at the dock. Wait another 6 hours to get loaded. Got my papers, and I was told that I have to leave the property.
I had 5 hours in the sleeper, 5 minutes driving and parking, and 6 hours waiting to get loaded...
Does anybody really think that I am gonna flag that 5 minutes driving???

 

Logically, NO...but LEGALLY..you should! As I said above..what if you get in an accident, or hit a pedestrian? Your log puts you at fault if you are not showing on your log what your actual duty status is at the time.

 

Logically....and legally....two very different things....

At the above mentioned place at Domino, TX I had a 7 PM appointment. I was there at 6PM, called in at 11PM, and loaded and ready to go at 5 AM. They didn't give two sh**s about my appointment, my time or my hours of service...

That is the biggest problem with this industry. Shippers don't care, receivers don't care, dispatch doesn't care...Be there on time...Hurry up and wait...

If shippers and receivers were made to be accountable for our time, it would be another story. But, as long as my dispatcher is afraid that he is going to lose the contract if driver ####### and complaints, he will let that shipper or receiver get away with anything

 

Not a new story at all...been that way long before you and started driving these trucks...welcome to trucking

 

wow this is a really hot topic, I say it's a catch 22. No the reefer doesn't run for 2 days without fueling unless you have and 100gal or more tank (and yes there is a company that has those on their trailer so their idot drivers don't let it run out of fuel). Seem as though they expect a driver to fuel his truck/trailer before starting a restart. That way he doesn't have to break his restart. ?? If the truck has a break down like a/c stop working, now to check into a shop drive the truck into garage and wait for it to be repaired wouldn't that also be a break in your restart. I do believe that there's a certain group of people appointed to sit around and think of the worst and stupidest ways to put the screws to us drivers. As the driver that said there has to be some reality to these hours of service. I'm sure the time they spend coming up with this stuff can be put to better use. What next, Logg every time you have sex so we can make sure your not to tired to drive after wards. Get REAL