fudge logbook.........

I remember when drivers were concerned about "speeding" in their log books. Some drivers thought they solved the problem by entering "500" miles on every page. Ten hours of driving, 500 miles, every day.

Heartland Express was hammered years ago because every driver entered 15 minutes for every load/unload and every drop&hook. The DOT told them to stop it. Everyone knows that even on a drop and hook you sometimes have to wait for paperwork, etc.

You guys and gals keep saying that a team will not have trouble with 70hrs/8days. I can testify that Tri-State put my co-driver and I in motel rooms on several occasions when we ran out of hours. They told us to call them when we could run hard legally.

Speaking of teams, Amway teams were caught running Ada, MI to California and turning right back to Ada without accumulating a cushion against their 70 hour limit. Amway paid a fine.

More history: When Associated Truck Lines (New York) was one of the larger LTL carriers, they paid a stiff fine for log book cheating. It was based on roadside inspections that were later matched to DOT office inspections. Today, that would be equivalent to Yellow/Roadway paying a huge fine.

 

I fudge....but I don't have to run illegal. I get paid enough to run 100% legal.

An example: I should not have gotten home until about noon today, because I ran out of hours about 50 miles from our terminal about 1am this morning....that ain't gonna happen.

I came home.

 

Acidents happen closer to home Anyhow family would rather have you home than something happen before you get there. Anyhow your choice, I just try to make sure you are aware it can happen on your way home.

Now there is times you can log off duty while driving home (I don't like this one but you can). I am going to find out a little clearer answer this week or Monday from DOT on the rules of this. I will be getting back, unless we turn out terrible and they freighten me to even speak (doubt that). No they are good guys, they have been really cool.

 

I agree 100%!

Yes teams can cheat and do cheat and teams do run out of hours.

Yes logging 15 minutes for everything you do is one of the biggest red flags. Although being audited right now they are mainly concerned with drivers being in the location of where they should be and that "if" they logged on line 4 would it interrupt their 10 or 34 hour break. I will say you can get in trouble for not logging the appropriate time for line 4. Just don't let DOT be watching you without you knowing if you (has happened, many times before but rare).

RUN LEGALL 100% OF THE TIME AND YOU HAVE NO WORRIES ABOUT PRISON OR LAW SUITS

 

The time you are speaking of, when driving home, Is bobtail.

Yes, I am very aware that most accidents occur close to home. However, I was well rested IMO. I was running in an "illegal" split. I had about 12 hours sleep over a 20 hour period. While that would have not gotten me out of any fines or jail time, had an accident occured. Traffic was not a concern where I live, or where I was coming from.

Sleepy = sleep = reason for nap. I don't need a "law" to tell me when it's time to stop. Although I have had the law tell me to wake my ### up and move my truck, when I was taking a nap.

No it ain't legal...but.

 

Yes, the body tells you when you are tired and you know when you need to close your eyes. The simple fact is, you can fight it trying to get some place and not even know you fell asleep until you wake up, if you do!

Take nap - Go to Bed - Don't take the chance. It could mean someone's life.

 

Yes you are right about the bobtail home and I am going to try and get some things cleared up about that with the DOT next week. I just want these harder questions answered, that DOT isn't very clear on.

Yeah I don't think they should be able to wake you up, unless you did something illegal in the first place as parking on the side of the road when that state does not allow it! I do feel for drivers in having to know all the state rules (not log, federal over rules state) of the roads and construction issue etc. Like I-70 project, they don't have as many signs up as I would to let people know, but they have something up and they are making a killing on you all

 

ok i really need to know about bobtailing home is it legal or not here is what i happen, at 2am i stoped driving my team driver took over and we got to our drop at at 5am we did the drop and for some reason he was too tired to drive home so i started driving i went from the sleeper to off duty at 6am, at about 8am i get stopped at scales and almost get a ticket and put out of service because i had not slept for 8hrs luckly my team driver was able to drive out and i get a warning. This was in CA on I10
Now as far as I know anytime im not under a load and dont have a trailer attached I can drive the rig like my personal car, well DOT said NO they said any time im driving a rig I have to be logged under driving, so was he wrong or right.
i need to know because monday im picking up my new rig and bobtailing home from NV to CA and i need to know is it considered line 3 driving or line 1 off duty. I wont have a load Im just bringing it back home since im taking out of state delv to not pay sales tax. thanx

 

Not sure about now a days, but anytime you used to be sitting behind the wheel even at a truck stop you were open game to DOT as it was considered on duty if you were in the drivers seat. That is why I always did my paperwork from the sleeper.

 

Fudge a logbook? that is a decision you are going to have to make for yourself. Hours of service rules don't allow for common sense so if you go by the letter of the law, you will find yourself unable to drive when you are wide awake, then the next day you may find yourself with plenty hours to run, but you are sleepy and don't want to.

I was off the road for over 3 years until recently, but in all my previous driving, I did what I had to do to run my truck within my own personal capabilities. If I was tired, I slept, no matter if I had hours to run or not.

I told myself when I went back out on the road this time that I was going to run by the letter of the law. I lied to myself. The Hours of service rules have changed since I previously drove, and this 14 hour limit is a crock of crap, especially if you are making multiple drops and need hours to get to your reload point that same day.

Nothing annoys me more than some stupid formula telling me when I can and can't drive, especially when the laws have chaged to the point that it makes it even harder on a driver. More and more documentation has been coming up about drivers being in accidents more now because they are fatigued simply because of rushing to get a job done before they go over a stupid 14 hour limit that requires them to take a 10 hour break.

Yeah, I know, split your break. If I could plan my day out perfectly, and make my multiple customers adjust their schedules around my split break, things would be peachy. That isn't the case though, so I am stuck with deciding whether to have appointments rescheduled so I can sit in a truck stop for my break (when I am wide awake), or I can do some creative writing and get the job done when I am physically and mentally alert to do my job.