Checking your refer while off duty

I don't really understand the log laws. I'm off-duty, I'm not working, I'm not going to move that truck or do anything with driving that's going to cause an issue of safety for the motoring public. If I want to go out to my truck and grab stuff or put groceries in it or whatever and I also decide to make sure the batteries are holding up or the truck will start after a cold night I don't get why that would constitute as ON DUTY anything. I don't know of any other job in the world that if you stop by the office to pick up your check, check the schedule, turn off a light, whatever, that'd be considered work. I'm not getting compensated in either case.

Also, how would a DOT officer know you did "work" on your off-duty time because you decided to ride your motorcycle 30 miles there and back? Do we need to log our personal driving time and movements?

As for checking, I would. I'm lucky that my parking spot is just a few minutes away.

Anyway, if the DOT wants to force good safe drivers out of the industry and strew the roads with people that drive with their legs on the dashboard, never do pre- or post-trips, etc. So be it.

 

I'm reminded of a situation I witnessed before I finally retired. I was sitting in safety going through a brief audit so I could get a new logbook and company transflo scan sheets. The shop boss came in and I overheard parts of the conversation. What happened was the company was paying for a TK road call because the driver allowed his unit to run out of fuel. When asked why the driver told the company he did not want to interrupt his 10. Some background. Our company had some really bad units. We had about 20 to 30 units that had really small fuel tanks. With -10 loads these things could sometimes get critically low of fuel in a matter of 10 to 15 hours. I don't know what happened to this driver. I did ask the director of safety about that situation and what do we do? He said clearly go buy fuel during the 10. It's a technical violation, but like a 14 hours bust will be overlooked if you don't make a habit out of doing it. This happened in 2011. I'm sure there are members that can tell you just how much that service call cost the company! TK can be expensive!

 

This!!!
JFC... instead of commending a fairly new guy for taking the initiative to check, you're worried about logging it?
If he was parked outside his house would he have to wear ear protection so he couldn't hear the reefer running when he walked by?

 

Let me see if I have this right! You are expected to get in your tractor, wake up the electrical system. Change your status from off duty to on-duty not driving before you look at the Reefer? In an earlier thread, I mentioned that when I yanked reefers during my 10 I opened the sleeper curtain from the left side a bit AND pulled in my left California mirror so I could see the reefer panel. So am I to take it that I had to change my status every time I took a look?

 

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this is actually the best answer to start with, I try to check mine twice a day but atleast once makes me feel sorta comfortable

I’m not logging on duty to wash/grease/ fix anything on the truck to begin with

 

2times a day

 

Unless carrier has track king or some other temperature monitoring service
For the reefers

 

I log on duty if i’ve dreamed about my truck at all.