Federal regulations on flagging of load checks?

Disagree 'May be' means the DOT is expecting something to be logged. If under 15min duration, you may have the option of just pulling a line down and annotating it. However the DOT is expecting you to log it some way.

For example if you stop in a rest stop, hit the cans, and then come out and check the truck or load. They are expecting you to log it. How you log it may have options and that is what they are saying.

DOT occasionally stakes out rest areas and writes drivers up for just these violations. They not found in regular driver or carrier audits.

As pointed out the in route checks are on the books. However, they are generally not enforced. The exception is Haz-mat or when some DOT feel they are necessary.

 

hire the right drivers and if you aren't having a problem with stuff falling off the trailers, apparently they are doing what they are supposed to.

 

I log "LC" in the appropriate time/distance frame. Do I stop every 150 miles/3hrs? Not saying. I haul equipment, and chains rarely if ever loosen up.
I did have a DOT inspection done last year, when the officer asked me "what does this LC mean every few hours?"
I don't put a location, just flag it and write LC on the line. Never had a logbook violation from either the company or DOT regarding it.
If you don't trust your drivers, that is a different story. As far as covering your behind, I see no way of actually doing it, unless you have E logs and can tell when they stop for a couple of minutes.
Martin

 

I think the bigger question for me is why would a driver refuse to draw a line? I flag a load check within 1 hr of leaving the shipper. Why give the DOT anything? It costs nothing but a little ink.

 

The regulations are full of "key words" that one has to read carefully to understand the true meaning. "May be" means may be. If they meant otherwise they would write "must".

Then you have the issue of falsifying because the majority of drivers don't stop at 50 miles.

If drivers were getting written up for it there would be posts all over the forum. Everyone pull out their logbooks, I want to look at them!

 

'may be' as a flag or 'may be' as drawn down down to line 4 as any other duty status change.

There is no regulation exempting a driver from not logging a duty shift change. There would be if not logging the status change 'may be' an option. It is not. No 7 min. rule. 8 min. rule. whatever.

The 'may be' clearly refers to the manor in which the shift change is noted. As such if you follow along the regulation the sum total of the time noted by flagging is to be added in the summation.

No option not to note duty change. Just a option on how it is noted.

Yes, tickets have been issued for not flagging or otherwise logging a period of less than 15mins. DOT has even staked out rest areas and handed out tickets as such. I have seen it.

 

untill someone says something to me about it. i'm not going to worry about it.

if i have a good load. i just drive. if i have a lousy load. i'm usually stopping before the scale to tighten down. bags of whatever, always settle and loosen straps.

 

They just dont know how to screw with us hard working drivers!!!