A Couple of Questions

Well its like this. If you write a report about equipment condition, then...

you must have inspected it. Either that, or you are writing and submitting a fraudlent report - which is a felony.

Y'all might want to check the wattage of your light bulb... doesn't appear to be much over say "10."

 

A felony ????????

 

Submitting a fraudulent written report - a log or an inspection report is a federal felony. Look it up.

If you check the box on the log form that says no defects noted - and a light bulb is burned out - because you really didn't look, guess what? As soon as you sign the log you just lied in writing. Submit it - meaning send it to your company or hand it to a DOT bear, and the act of handing that form over is a felony.

There's a driver who layed his truck over across a highway in WI a few years ago... middle of the night. A bus plowed into it killing a number of, I believe, college atheletes. They got him for a couple of years on negligent homicide or manslaughter - I don't recall exactly. But it was a very short sentence that inflamed the local community. That led the federal DA to investigate his log books... 20 years for multiple counts of fraudelent paperwork. A felony.

 

If you did a thorough pre trip inspection prior to moving the vehicle as required, have done mid trip inspections or walk around as is prudent and done by "Professional Drivers" you already have the information to complete your written report. What's the wattage of your bulb? Huh!!!

 

So your vehicle can't have a failure on the road, eh? Enjoy your time behind the scalehouse.

 

A thorough pre trip will catch any thing that breaks while I sleep, my periodic walk around whenever I stop will take care of what happens on the road. I have not yet had a scale house or DOT write me up while parked for the night. Apparently you have, or did you just overlook your proper pre trip.
I didn't write the rules, but, I did read the rules and the FMCSA guidance. That will add to your understanding of what they mean and what they require

 

I know precisely what the FMCSRs require - evidently you don't. Writing an inspection report without the requisite inspection (despite your assumed knowledge of the state of your equipment,) and submitting a falsefied report implying that you did the inspection is a violation of federal law. Good luck pal.

 

Well, thank you for sharing your opinion. Now, consider this, filing a "falsified report" would require that you were aware of a defect and filed a report without disclosing it. I will continue to follow the requirements of sec 396.11 and the guidance published by FMCSA related to the section and its subsections. You of course are free to do it any way you see fit.

 

Are you attending Western Pacific Truck School? She's nice but she ran into a low bridge once.

Don't waste your hours up for fear of DOT. Your get out of jail card keyphrase is "I have performed a pretrip of the vehicles to my satisfaction".