ELD and inspection.

In reality? Why would you drive with violations or safety issues on the equipment anyway?

 

Given that a pre trip inspection is on duty time, and with an ELD that means you start the clock and then do your inspection, and that is where you find the defects, note them, and if they would likely affect the safety or reliability of the vehicle you then decide whether to leave on your run.
Your company is doing an illegal end run with this requirement. And if they were stupid enough to put it in writing, a call to a regional DOT office will answer the question with authority.

 

If you do a post trip when you stop at the end of your on duty time you will avoid unpleasant surprises. It is not illegal to take a walk before you start your shift. What you look at and where you walk is up to you.

 

I almost always look my rig over before I start my clock to find anything that may need repaired. This makes it so I avoid starting my clock and then finding something that I cant fix and end up wasting hours of my clock while waiting for repairs. If I dont find anything wrong I log a pre-trip while I have a smoke and coffee.

 

False. The regulation:
On-duty time means all time from the time a driver begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work. On-duty time shall include:

(2) All time inspecting, servicing, or conditioning any commercial motor vehicle at any time;

 

How do you know what I an looking at. Starting the truck up is not on duty. The E log records it but I don 't change duty, taking a walk while off duty or walking by the truck on the way in to get coffee is not on duty.

 

What is illegal and what you can get away with are two separate things. You claimed it's not illegal. That's simply incorrect and the regs were posted. Now will you ever get caught, or is it even an issue? I'd say no it's not, but that doesn't change the fact it is illegal as per the regs.