I Got Fired For Discussing My Hours Of Service

Wow this really got out of control, Sitting home, drinking a few glasses of wine and having fun with this topic gave me a lot of laughs. Seriously, Interpretation of the laws regaurding Inspections I've honestly found varied depending on who you talk to. Just look at this thread, a lot of interpretations don't you think? One Dot officer to the next see them differently, that's reality. In a court of law, since the regs are written vaguely, lawyers have twisted them consistantly in the plaintifs behalf while looking to get big dollars from any carrier they can or O/O. Bottom line you as a driver is the sole responsibility for the safe operation of the equipment through defensive driving habits and keeping your equipment in good repair by thoroughly inspecting the equipment you are driving and the equipment you are pulling. The regs will not give any specific time reguirments for any type of inspection for one reason. You doing an inspection may take 5, 10, or whatever minutes yu take to satisfy yourself, while I may take as much, as less or more time, as I choose necessary to insure that my equipment is safe to operate. The moment I start, regaurdless what the interpretation is, I consider myself on duty, any repairs that I make, all on duty. If I take the tractor or trailer to the shop down the street to be repaired, all on duty. The moment I hand the keys over to the shop and walk across the street to DD, off duty I go. No company or reg is going to tell me how long is reguired, time wise for an inspection. As far as I'm concerned if it takes me an hour in the beginning of eachday then so be it. Any company that wants to fire me over it, definitely is doing them self an injustice. Especially, when I'm being anal about safety, protecting not only myself but the company's from a liability suit. Every time we begin a trip, we are rolling the dice. I'm just trying to load them in my behalve.


As far as everything that I have said, the incident with the right wheel locking up, didn't happen, however in my earlier years when I thought it wasn't a big deal, the left wheel locked up and yes I was pulling a load of ductle pipe. I hit the Jersey barrier on the PA pike. Everytime I hit the wheel let go, I ended up getting to the shoulder next to a maintenance shed. Of course in those days no cell phones. Walking over to the shed to call in for help, the wheel ingnited the gear oil and by the time I walked back, yeah you guessed it, R model mack was nothing but a fire ball. So yes a proper pre trip and or post trip would have stopped this from happening. Even doing a walk around during the trip would have caught it. I say this so the ones starting out in this industry can truley undestand how important it is to insure your eguipment is safe. I was lucky, I could have killed myself or someone around me. In my beginnings I couldn't stand the regs, gov telling me what to do!!! Today I use them to protect me. Why, I want my children to enjoy their inhertance, not some joe blow three states away.Everyone here is so wrapped up in the regs. Really!!!!!! In the end, we wouldn't have so many if everyone just used a little common sense. COMMON SENSE!!!!! today is like a rare commodity we all could get rich on if invested in. When I look at everything that is said, Gosh!!! why does it lways got to be me and me and me, I'm so great. Hope you all get the punt intended.

As far as the initial person who started this thread, Actually forgot, well if his log was reflecting what he said, closed out and signed. Nothing the company can do about his start time. Hopefully we can all agree, 10 hours from the time he went off duty. Doesn't matter if he took 10 minutes or 10 hours to do an inspection. Maybe 10 is a little far fetched but if it's logged signed and turned in, this legal doc becomes binding. I do believe there's more to the story than what's being told.

 

I cannot understand how drivers become so condescending and arrogant, like they know everything and belittle others every chance they get to show how superior they are to anyone they think is beneath them.

We must come out of the shake and bake school of fender benders knowing everything and dare not know it all.

 

Seems to be context of your post.

If they cannot read their book, contact their company.

They earn it.

I read the book. I think for myself. I do not post stupid things like this.

Seems every time you turn around, they are not reading their book and want someone to tell them something that they do not want to hear. Happening more and more.

 

Contrary to your opinion I have zero out of service in 33 years, zero tickets for log book violations, zero preventable accidents, zero problems, and stopped caring about miles years ago. Also have transported everything from lumber to tankers in places I really should not have been, but I know that many on here are far more experienced than I am and respect that. I am a nobody when it comes to many drivers with more experience and respect those that have it, but I do let my driving record and experience speak for itself.

I do not care what others do as long as it does not concern me nor would I put people down for not knowing, but will say this much. People that like to put others down have hidden issues they are not addressing.

No one goes into any part of trucking knowing it all or stop learning, when they do they either are dead or stupid.

 

Where in the world did this come from?

I have no opinion concerning you and do not care. I certainly voiced nothing about you.

 

I do post trips so I can get things fixed before I go to bed if possible, and not delay the trip with it in the morning.

 

Pre-trip, post-trip, should I log it 15 mins. or flag it? This thread is going nowhere. Log it whatever way your company wants you to. But, by all means, DO a pre or post trip as your life or someone else's my depend on it.

 

INSPECTION "REPORT" must be filed.

When your dispatcher said "do your report at the post office". She meant do a pre-trip inspection THEN (if the vehicle meets your criteria for safe) drive to the post office where you can fill out your pre-trip form.
That is legal.
You COULD (if you really wanted to work) do a complete pre-trip in 10 minutes if necessary. Its the 5 minutes of paperwork that make it take 15 minutes. If you were pulled over and inspected on the way to the post office, you only need to show the officer that you did in fact log a pre-trip but you do not need to show it to him at all. You do not need to have your pre-trip form in the truck at all. I leave mine at the terminal everyday. I NEVER have a pre-trip or post-trip form in the truck with me and while I have been asked several times if I did a pre-trip I have NEVER been cited for not having the form with me.

 

I contract to a hot shot outfit. I used to with PAM Transport do a 15 min PTI and allow no time but flag a post trip. NEVER got dinged by the PAM Log dept for that.

The hot shot company wants a 15 min post trip logged. Theoretically I need not log at all.
But I use it as a weapon as well. No midnight run after my logbook started at 8am!

 

Seems like a mountain made out of a non-issue...We're talking a few minutes, way less than even a minor traffic delay can cause...To me, you brought this on yourself...JMHO