Any log book theoreticians here?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by TallJoe, Sep 8, 2017.

  1. TallJoe

    TallJoe Road Train Member

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    If you are a carrier you need to keep your log books (technically for 6 months at least for DOT purposes) and maintenance files at the same time. In a scenario that there is one man and a truck carrier - nobody else can drive the truck but you, here comes a question that I can't find an answer to.
    Should taking a truck (bobtail) to a repair shop a few miles around the corner be logged or not? I mean, per FMCSA HOS rules - forgive me but I did not go through the thick spiral book yet.

    I can only guess that it should be, and if that is the case, would not logging it be considered as falsifying?
    For those of you who went through a DOT safety audit already, did you log it or not? Did a DOT officer school any one of you about this?
     
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  3. CaptainDaveG

    CaptainDaveG Road Train Member

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    No. It does not have to be logged. Just note the repairs etc. The unit is not under dispatch. Best not to have a trailer hooked to it.


    Be Safe Out There


    Captain Dave
     
  4. truckdriver31

    truckdriver31 Road Train Member

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    yes you still must so time on duty.
     
  5. Razorwyr

    Razorwyr Road Train Member

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    Legally you are supposed to log it because it's work related. Short distance as a 1 man show....i was just going to get some coffee on personal conveyance.
     
  6. tnevin225

    tnevin225 Road Train Member

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    I get a kik out of these log book questions, You need to realize that most of us don,t put down squat in a log book unless we have to, especially when you think about all the maintenance work that gets done on trucks including full rebuilds and not one minute is ever ever put into a log book.
     
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  7. whoopNride

    whoopNride Road Train Member

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    That is an age old question. Technically I would say log it. That is like doing maintenance on your truck/trailer your self, you probably should log it on duty, but most people don't.
     
  8. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Personally I'd log the drive time. If someone else was doing the work, I'd be off duty. If I'm not holding a wrench, I'm not on the clock as far as I'm concerned.

    I like the personal use option:

    "Yes officer I was just going to have a coffee with my friend down the road. When I got there he noticed my brake cams were worn, so he replaced them for me :D"
     
  9. TallJoe

    TallJoe Road Train Member

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    I may have a safety audit soon when I'll present the maintenance file and driving logs. SO I HAVE TO...
    I want to know, if someone had any problems when an official was seeing both and said something like "Since on that date you had the work done on your truck and the shop address is 5 miles away from your parking yard, and you did not log it, sir, I must tell you that this is wrong and I'll give you a fine for a log book falsification" - I guess that would be the worst case scenario. I'd like to know what experts say, so that I am prepared. Well, I might probably be better off just log every shop visit, but that could be an unnecessary effort and at the same time could affect 34 hour resets when Elogs are in place, when every move you take (5 miles is the distance to my shop) is recorded.

    But yeah, when I was leased on, or a company driver - these things were the least of my concern.
     
  10. mhyn

    mhyn Road Train Member

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    why you think you will have safety audit soon? bad records or new entrant ?
     
  11. TallJoe

    TallJoe Road Train Member

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    new entrant -- I heard and I hope that it is no sweat but you know....there are still some things coming to my head like this one, that I was never fully certain of. I guess, I'll make a list of questions and controversies with HOS and e-logs and will pour quite a lava at them to answer. I hope they'll have time. Let's see if they themselves will be able to answer - so I hope to talk to someone in the know. Especially e-logs mandate will be explored in depth. Actually, I am looking forward to this one.
     
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