Cheating on log books

It's one thing to cheat and try to run double, as in carrying 2 log books and putting in 1200+ mile days popping pep pills, but it's another to run a regular 10-11 hour day with reasonable mileage and make the log "plausible". The safety director for my company (he's works for several small companies in El Paso) was a former CDL driver and commercial vehicle inspector for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety at the Anthony, NM weigh station. He said that inspectors don't really expect drivers to run 100% legal all the time on their logs, they are looking for what's plausible and what's clearly impossible. For example, it's plausible to log 8.5 hrs driving from the Petro in San Antonio, TX to the Petro in El Paso, TX. That's an average of 65 mph. Maybe it actually took you 9 hrs with all the pee breaks, hills slowing you down near Kerrville, etc. but you logged that it took you 8.5 hrs. On the other hand, if you try to say you ran between the Love's in Baytown, TX with the Love's in El Paso in 8.5 hours, that's impossible, you'd have to average 88 mph to do that. Not only is that speeding but that would be nearly impossible to do in a car, much less a big truck.

At a recent safety meeting, Sal, the safety guy, showed us a video that was a training video for DOT inspectors that shows what they are to look for when checking logs. Basically make sure your story matches your logs. Don't tell the inspector that you stayed to see the entire Dallas Cowboys game that week if your log shows you left around half time, as the driver in the dramatization did on the video.

He also told us a funny anecdote from when he was an inspector, that it was suprising how many drivers admitted to running two logs without even thinking about it. He'd ask for their logbook and after getting it, would ask for the other log book and some drivers were so tired that without thinking, they handed him their other log book

 

Just point that out in any job interview. It tells those employers that want you to cheat, but tell you otherwise, that you're a straight shooter. Also tells those that want a 'by the book' guy that you're straight up.
Stick with it. It's worth it.

 

just say, well my dispatcher told me to run illegal. As soon as she told me to do it, I was off the hook. Once somone tells you something you're not responsible anymore.

 

I'll admit I've fudged a log to get a extra 30 minutes but two logs never

 

Oh yeah absolutely, I'm pretty up front about what I'm looking for when I go for an interview and I hope that the hiring party is also. In this case it wasn't to be. I didn't fit them and they didn't fit me. Took the position over several others I had been offered, now I have to start the process over. Going to start with those that made offers that I would have accepted and see what happens from there.

 

As one officer in North Carolina told me, "Life doesn't fit into 15 minute increments." Basically there's fudging, and then there's outright lying. An example is trying to get through Chicago. You have an hour and a half left so you take a chance that you can get to the TA on I-90 at Hampshire. Traffic is slower than expected and now you are going to come up 20 minutes short. So you fudge a little to look legal. On the other hand if you only have half an hour and do the same thing everyone knows you have no intention of being legal.

 

I always use the qcomm. My question is are you authorizing me to drive even though I'm out of hours? I have yet to meet a dispatcher brave or stupid enough to authorize me to drive when I shouldn't.

 

There is cheating and there is fudging ... there are times when it is "ok" to fudge. I used to run Pryor, OK, to Boisie, ID, to Phoenix, to Dallas, and back to Pryor to start the run over again. Did that Oct thru Feb for 2 seasons, loved it. And running with a full compliment of hours leaving Pryor (and 2 driving hours in), I'd end up taking one particular 10 hour break in the middle of nowhere, SW Wyoming, if I didn't cheat an additional 45 minutes to make it to Cokeville, WY. (I preferred to run that way as opposed to through Ogden) Could have stopped in Little America? Yes, I could and I did if overnight weather into Pocotella was questionable, but I preferred Cokeville, because I could get a comfortable room there for $35 and visit with Herman at the bar across the street (if it was the Saturday turn).

I'm not an advocate for running wild with falsifying logs, but there are times when minor fudging has to be done, and usually ends up benefiting the driver and the carrier in the long run, whether paper or eLogs.

Any driver who say they NEVER cheat or fudge or have never cheated or fudged is lying or is deluded.

 

I've met a bunch of them, I've even seen them sign their names behind it. Unreal. Plus just because some moron dispatcher tells you to do something it never excuses it. The only person that can make the truck move is you. When/if you get caught your dispatcher is going to forget about telling you to keep driving, even if it's recorded on the QC. If you don't look out for youself, nobody will.

 

I'm so tired, I forgot what I was gonna say.