Hours of service questions and answers

Yeah, but not everyone plays by the rules. I'm just not giving them any ammunition.

 

If I was a speculator, I'd be on wall street making the big bucks. But I would like to see them change the rule to 12 on 12 off, no matter if you're driving or on duty not driving, just make it 12 on and 12 off, 7 days a week, forget the 70hr/8 days rule, just 12 on, 12 off. Wouldn't that make life simple? I know it won't happen, just voicing my opinion. How many 9-5 jobs do they expect you to work 14 hours, and if they asked, you'd say no way. It's a strange industry we're in!

 

You'll never violate hours on duty if use this pattern -
driving 5.5 hr, 2 hr sleeper in berth, driving 5.5 hr., 8 hr sleeper in berth, driving 5.5 hr, and so on.
If You use this pattern You won't violate 14 hr rule and "split break" rule.

 

AH ha!! The "secret" emerges!!

If only the world would now conform to pattern...

 

While not doubting what you stated, are you restricted from looking prior to the last 7 days? If so it seems somewhat a handicap. For example some time back (Old rules 10 and 8) we had a gentleman who 9 days prior to being stopped logged in to the sleeper in Tallahassee FL. The next morning (8 days prior to stop) he went on duty and then driving in Memphis TN (Same tractor and trailer). Apparently his misguided brain told him no one would spot this, and if anyone did they would just assume Captain Kirk had simply beamed him to Memphis. His 7 days looked good, and he even had a BOL with date and time (All fake) which could place him where he was stopped and inspected. There was no 34 hr reset in those days, and the driver showed on duty and driving hours each day of the past 7 and he also voluntarily produced a recap showing 10 or 11 hrs remaining. At a minimum we decided he falsified 8 days prior and therefore day 7 through the day of the stop was falsified.

I don't believe that a cursory look at days further back than 7 is inappropriate, but agency or department policy rules. But then again if it's in your hands and you inadvertently see something...

Best regards

 

If he was dumb enough to keep those older log pages after pulling that stunt he deserved to get caught.

 

An audit by the DOT on the company could catch that mistake...and they can hang driver and company for it.

 

Still leaves unaccountable hours!! Think team with the current rule-a team member has 12 hours to drive ultimate 11 hours. Solo driver has 14 hours to drive ultimate 11 hours. Please note I did not subtract vi, fuel, def, load/unload time. Whoever is figuring out these formulas, really does need to think sleeper berth with teams. A solo parks his truck and sleeps (I am not saying he's doing it for 8 hours uninterrupted-they have backed their log up!!!) Who the hell can sleep through a drop and hook?? But yet expect them to go down the road for long periods of time-as if they are getting quality sleep, like the guy that can just park it and get 2-3 hours of quiet sleep. Split sleeper berth it the way to go.

 

Well sure it could and with less than 2% of companies receiving compliance reviews per year, and a small percent of drivers of these companies reviewed, most hot drivers know there is more to fear from a lightning strike than a CR. Most compliance reviews are focused because of an event or events (Post accident, fatalities etc). But my point was not to get enforcement to look farther or harder, but rather to comment that many states do look past 7 days. Many inspectors look at today to be sure you are where you can be, a day or two ago, some back seven, but it's not uncommon for them to look at as many days prior to the last 7 that a driver gives them.

Best regards

 

But if I hand you my logbook and still have the last 12 or 13 days in there you can site for anything I give you can you not?