Iowa police comparing logbooks against Pilot Rewards Cards?

And the good ol' .38 special of days gone by has been replaced with a Glock 21 and a M249 Saw replaces the trusty old Mossberg in the shotgun rack.

Most cops nowadays are walking around with their dick swelled up so big from all their dandy new toys, they can barely fit in the car.

 

The way I see it, the "driver payback" cards for the various truckstop chains are my personal cards. The company I work for didn't obtain them for me. What they are used for is personal business, not job specific, therefore, they, like my American Legion membership card, debit card or anything else personal in my wallet will require a search warrant before I'll produce them.
I fuel with a company supplied comdata card, if requested, I'll display that card, as it's part of the equipment supplied with the truck.
And, as I fuel with that company card, the fuel transactions are the business of the truckstop, comdata, and the company. I never get a receipt for fuel.
My logbook is a legal document, signed by me. I still believe that in the eyes of the law I am innocent until proven guilty. If an LEO is accusing me of purgery, ( falsifying my logbook ), then it's up to HIM to show proof of my guilt. NOT up to me to have to prove my innocence until such time as I am legally charged with a crime!

 

Guys/gals .... for anyone who has had to jikky their logbook, you can mess with start time, break time, finish time, miles driven, etc all you want, but you NEVER mess with fuel times...mainly because they can be verified in several different ways.

I ran as a solo expeditor running 4000-4500 a week, so you know my logbook wasn't accurate... but my fuel times were always on the money, since that's the only point of my day that could be verified.

I'll gladly hand over my fuel card or Pilot card - nothing to hide there.

My point is..why all the ruffling of feathers over something we KNOW can be checked 14 different ways? ...just make sure your fuel stop is right, and you have nothing more to worry about - unless you can't draw straight lines.

 

My feathers get ruffled every time I am accused of commiting a crime. I log things as I do them, my logbook is my sworn statement to that effect.
To me, demanding anything on the roadside to "prove" my logbooks accuracy is the same as accusing me of falsifying a legal documnet for no other reason than occupational profiling! I drive a truck therefore I must be a criminal and a liar?
I can understand asking for some other documentation if the logbook isn't current, but if it's current to the last change of duty status then to ask for anything more is accusing me of commiting a crime with no proof!
It may be no big deal to the majority of the population of this country but I've shed blood for the principles this counrty is based on and to see them cast aside in small ways such as this burns me to my core!

 

As long as your fuel receipts and toll receipts match your log, you should not have a problem. I don't recall being asked whether I have my fuel receipts with me when my logs have been checked. They can use a computer to check your log against speed limits and routing. Unless your logs are out I doubt that there would be a problem. Some carriers have gone to electronic receipts. Perhaps that is why they are asking for a driver's Pilot card. If you log at least 2-3 mph lower than the posted speed limit it will also help if logs are checked.

 

I have not checked the rules, but if I remember correctly, the driver is not required to keep fuel or any other receipts in their truck. Most drivers send receipts back to their carrier with their bills. The carrier is required to maintain those records for a specified time period in case of an audit. Any state can request an audit at any time, but it is from the carrier. If during an audit logs are found to be off then both the carrier and driver can be fined. It is the carrier who received the largest fine, but drivers can also be fined during an audit.

 

Ever heard the old saying "what you ask for and what you get may be two different things"? As a former military policeman who has a large number of friends in civilian law enforcement, the defensive attitude (like that of DannyB, and no offense meant) isn't necessary. You can easily say "there's my log book, it's current, and we don't get receipts for fuel, we fuel and go".

Police ask for lots of things, in many ways, to see your reaction. Your reaction alone will verify for them if they need to dig any further. Having a DOT guy ask you when you fueled last can bring them large bits of info - what if they ask a driver "when was the last time you fueled?", and he says "yesterday at 1415 in Knoxville at the Pilot at the 374". Compared to "uh...I don't know...uh... I got this truck from my friend, and.."

That is a specific question and answer to spot drug carriers or those transporting illegal aliens. Ask yourself - why wouldn't ANY driver of ANY experience level not remember the last time they fueled? Someone who is doing something illegal and didn't possibly fuel this particular truck, or someone covering something else up may not know about the details of fueling the truck.

Just a thought. I, too, shed blood for my country. I also know that a lot of crooked drivers screwed it up for the rest of us, so we have to deal with it, like so many other things where 1% screwed it up for the other 99%.

The attitude isn't warranted, and yes, DOT/state police DO/DOES have the right to ask you anything they want about your truck, your load, where, when, how, etc. That's their job, if they want to ask, and your job to know, if you want to drive.

 

First off just because it is posted does not make it true. I keep my rewards cards in a separate wallet with my base passes, twic cards, loading cards etc. There is on way a cop would know whats in that credit card book.

Also just because they ask for it does not mean you have to surrender it to them. A simple don't have one would take care of it .

 

In all my years of driving everytime except once, they have taken a look at it and found it neat, clean and current. And they hand it back to me. The one time it was used against me as the officer was mistaken.

I was pulled over on I60 10 miles east of downtown, had loaded in Rancho Dominguez, and he sited me for speeding because of the 30 minutes logged he felt would indicated I was speeding, The judge however stated it proved my speed average was under 55 since I had only traveled 12 miles in 30 minutes.

The officer thought I loaded in Dominguez Hills (which would be North Long Beach).

So keep it clean and up to date it can bail your butt out.

 

Closest thing I can find in the CFRs is 49 390.29(b):

"All records and documents required by this subchapter which are maintained at a regional office or driver work-reporting location shall be made available for inspection upon request by a special agent or authorized representative of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at the motor carrier’s principal place of business or other location specified by the agent or representative within 48 hours after a request is made. Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays are excluded from the computation of the 48-hour period of time."

Make up a small index-cardsized printout with this language and the phone# to your regional office and hand it to any LEO that asks for supporting documents.