Bare min "on-duty" time and Legal?

Unless there has been a change, GA and TX require a logged inspection. I don’t recall which state requires a pre-trip or post trip inspection. I have just always done a 15 minute pre-trip and a 15 minute post-trip so all the bases are covered.

 

I can't find anything in Georgia Code that requires this. I just searched the code 3 times using different search terms. This is what I come up with. I can't link because this website is behind a paywall.

§ 40-8-7. Driving unsafe or improperly equipped vehicle; punishment for violations of chapter generally; vehicle inspection by law enforcement officer without warrant

(a) No person shall drive or move on any highway any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer, or any combination thereof, unless the equipment upon any and every such vehicle is in good working order and adjustment as required in this chapter and the vehicle is in such safe mechanical condition as not to endanger the driver or other occupant or any person upon the highway.
(b) It is a misdemeanor for any person to drive or move, or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved, on any street or highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles:
(1) Which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person;
(2) Which does not contain those parts or is not at all times equipped with such lights and other equipment in proper condition and adjustment as required in this chapter; or
(3) Which is equipped in any manner in violation of this chapter.
(c) It is also a misdemeanor for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required under this chapter.
(d) Any vehicle suspected of being operated in violation of this article may be the subject of an inspection conducted by any law enforcement officer who has reason to believe such violation is occurring, without the necessity of obtaining a warrant to permit such inspection.

 

I know what the question was, I don't need to be talked down too like I was a child. The point though is while you are technically correct this can be confusing to new drivers. I rather point out that an inspection while not a legal requirement, is part of most carriers policy and a safe professional will inspect. New drivers are constantly day in and day out getting into trouble because they are not getting good facts as it relates to the safe operation of their vehicle. FACT Vehicles have moving parts and some of those moving parts are safety related. FACT The driver of a CMV is 100% responsible to ensure that vehicle is safe. FACT There is no other way to satisfy this requirement outside of a physical inspection. A driver that does not inspect their truck and places it on the road with anything wrong with it can be and often is cited!

I also am very much aware that older more experienced drivers know everything about these inspections and have their own way of running. However these new drivers in some cases were trained by a driver that has less then a year themselves. They come to this fourm and ask questions. If they ask you that question, do I have to inspect what are you going to tell that driver? No its not the law? I much rather urge them to follow what their carrier requires because that should be what they are doing to start with.

 

We had a compliance man at a safety meeting. He explained GA and TX requirements. Too long ago for me to remember. Next time I get stopped I will ask the man and throw him off his game. Thanks for the GA code.

 

Oh if you really want to be funny. Take a dozen Krispy Kreams into the weight masters area of a Georgia scale and ask them what the Ga Code is that requires a logged inspection. If they are DOT cops they should have at least a "cheat" sheet.

 

I'm sorry if you feel talked down to. If I chose to, I could have read the same or greater condescension and or snark from the last line of your reply to me, I chose not to. There is no need to take things so personally.

If you believe that this issue is complicated and confusing for new drivers just repeat the last line of my first post in this thread:

Log it as it happens. Log legal, log accurate. All vehicle inspections, maintence, or conditioning must be logged on duty. As long as the driver's log graph matches what the driver did that day, the driver is compliant with the law.

 

Do you have any idea what the fine is for most any violation of part 396 is in most of the states? Last ticket I saw was from Missouri and it was medium 3 figures. When cops see trucks they hear that ching ching sound a cash register makes. Just advising a driver to "log it" is not urging said driver to inspect. Take the time to get out of the dang truck and walk around. Have any idea how many drivers that don't? I have sit in truck stops for years and watched drivers get up step between the truck and trailer take a wizz and get back in and drive away. I have seen drivers do this and see flat tires. Personally I would love to see the FMCSA go back and totally change part 396. Sum it up in such a way as to require these inspections be at least logged. I can see the paperwork problems with record keeping with the reports. I have stated many times on these boards that I think the way the FMCSA regulates stinks. They make what seems like simple rules them fill them with such gobbledygook they are almost incomprehensible to laymen. It is this crap that leads to arguments AND creates this grey area where DOT cops make life miserable for truckers on the side of the road.

On the subject of tone and manner of a comment. It is a shame sometimes that one of the drawbacks to the internet is that lack of face to face contact. This is because so much gets lost. This has actually been researched and proven. You can read someone's writing then watch them say those same words and take a totally different meaning. I'm human and I do this as well.

 

And I've had a "compliance man" from MI DOT come to our terminal and tell our shop (I was there) that all lights have to work on a CMV, even though the actual regs specifically state otherwise.

Just because someone is an official doesn't mean they can't be wrong....

 

I agree 100%. That is why I thanked and commented on the GA code posted. I think I have heard it in more than one place. Aging equals fuzzy brain.

 

Not trying to pick your comment. Beware there are a lot of people that are "self educated" experts that have not been through some of the training. There are a lot of these people that will go to actual driver meetings and spew myth after myth. I'm not going to post any examples because I don't want to set somebody off.

Now I don't know if there is any state's that have state rules in place that mandate inspections. However I tend to doubt there are because of the way part 350 is written. If I am wrong I am sure somebody will post it.