Does 20 hours off duty = two ten hour breaks?

So one thing I did not once see here was recommending that the op protect his 70. That was one thing that was beat into me when I started at tmc almost 3 years ago. Always protect your 70. Log only what you absolutely are required, after that put yourself in the sleeper if your at the shipper or receiver waiting to unload. I show 20 to 30 minutes of pretrip time because I can't physically do a legal pretrip in 15 minutes and I can't see how any driver ever could. I log my loading and unloading times from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the load, because that's how long it usually takes my to untarp and store my gear. Seeing how very little flatbed freight gets unloaded by the driver, no need for my to show me on duty for more than that amount.

The theory of only driving 8.5 hours a day and you never run out of hours, would work in theory, but if I did that pulling a flatbed, I wouldn't make nearly what I make now. I'd be lucky to knock out 3 loads a week.

If I'm on a 34 reset while I'm on the road and I'm empty, which has happened a few times, I'll show myself off duty, even if I'm in the truck, except at night when I'm sleeping. Because I'm not under dispatch, and I'm free to walk away from the truck at will. I will not show off duty while at the shipper or receiver. Because I'm under dispatch. In my mind I have a responsibility to the truck and am unable to walk away.

Criticize me on how I do it, but I've yet to have a single log violation or log audit come back on me, and I've had several safety managers who were former drivers tell me that my logs looked very good.

 

I got an idea. I am going to hibernate for 4 months. That would be 2880 hours. Does that mean I can work for the next 288 days straight? Just checking....

 

Absolutely, you must! As a trucker line 4 is your worst enemy! Stay off it until you have no other choice. When I was driving I tried to keep a good relationship with my Fleet Manager. More then once after the FMCSA brought in the 34 hour thing I would ask them to give me a heads up. Do I need to run real hard or is there much work. If I had a lot of time on my 70 I would seek a 34 especially if a sporting event was coming on. However you are right, you MUST watch that 70. In a lot of ways that 70 is your most important clock. It is possible to have a full 11 available on that clock but still can't do anything because the tally is zero on the 70. The thing a lot of drivers do that get them in trouble is they don't let dispatch know that their 70 hour clock is getting close. They can't read minds and in most systems that information is NOT available to load planners. This is why most QC's have delivery Macros that ask for time left. Communication is one of the biggest keys.

 

My dispatcher and I work good together, when he gets my "mt" message, in about 20 minutes, unless I'm pre planned he's calling me with load options. (Yes as a company driver they let us run the truck how we want) he can look at my hos and he knows what I can do on what I got. He knows I'll run to the very last minute of I have to. He also knows that I'll be stopping for my 34 if I am staying out. Usually Saturday afternoon into Sunday night.

 

Although you must demonstrate how to do a pretrial in the skills part of the test (I didn't because I was grandfathered into cdl) there is no legal requirement to do one. The only regulation is that a driver not drive the vehicle until he or she is satisfied that the vehicle is in safe operating condition. If you are not satisfied with a cursory look, good for you, but the legal requirement is to be satisfied, not to perform the inspection itself.

 

I was always under the impression that a either a pretrip or post trip must be performed and logged.

 

And the question was answered, very succinctly, 30 posts later. Thank you, Bama.

Blab, blab, blab - and the answer is NO. In between the beginning and the answer is a bunch of fluff, opinions, suggestions and stupidity.

The answer to the question, as it's posed, is 'no'.

 

I'm detecting sarcasm, as if you actually expected someone to read every post.... Silly guy

 

Only the literate itinerates.

You in?

 

This is from the FMCSA website regarding writing down the activity

When the driver’s duty status changes, do §§395.8(c) or 395.8(h)(5) require a description of on-duty not driving activities (“fueling,” “pre-trip,” “loading,” “unloading,”, etc.) in the remarks section in addition to the name of the nearest city, town or village followed by the State abbreviation?

Guidance: No. Many motor carriers require drivers to identify work performed during a change of duty status. Part 395 neither requires nor prohibits this practice.