legality of passenger in sleeper berth

That's only if the wife is the contractor. While leased to a motor carrier, my truck blew a turbo. I have a friend who was looking for a driver. I took his truck, and put it on with my carrier. He owned the truck, but I was the contractor. Your situation would not have worked in that case.

 

Legal issues aside, I would think having wife and kid in the truck would get old real quick.

 

You need to go back and re-read the regs. ANYBODY employed by the motor carrier may ride in the CMV without written authorization. As the contractor, the truck owner is paid by the motor carrier (and therefore could be employed by/under contract with said motor carrier. That truck owner, as stipulated in the contract, hires a driver to operate the truck if the contractor cannot or will not personally drive the truck. The truck owner (contractor) is still the one paid by the carrier...NOT the driver. The driver is paid by the contractor. The contractor has EVERY RIGHT to ride in his or her truck WITH their driver in order to train, observe, or otherwise ensure that the truck is being cared for properly. The carrier does not need to provide written authorization for the contractor to ride, just as they don't need to provide written authorization for the carrier's safety personnel to do a ride-along, or for the driver to shuttle other drivers to their truck, or even for a group of drivers at the same company to pile into one truck to bounce to a restaurant for dinner. All of these people are either "employees" of the motor carrier or "assigned" to the CMV by the motor carrier and exempt from the written authorization requirement.

 

Every company I've contracted with required the actual title-holder to sign the contract...no rental trucks, no borrowed trucks...it had to be yours. These carriers would have required your friend to sign on and then hire you as the driver, in which case he would have been able to ride along.

And a blown turbo? That's a 1-day DIY repair if you've got access to what you need...and any shop ought to be able to knock it out pretty quickly if you don't. Why wouldn't you just get your own truck repaired and back on the road? The time spent signing the contract, having the truck inspected and lettered, getting all of the plates/permits/insurance lined up...would have been quicker (and cheaper) to have the turbo replaced.

 

I second that from experience

 

Many states have a law requiring children to be buckled in regardless of seat. You can get a lap belt that attaches to the net. Not that a lap belt will do much but it is possible to install without making permanent modifications.

If you can get the company on board and install the appropriate restraints you're good to go.