Logging Off Duty Instead of Sleeper Berth

From what I've heard, which could be wrong, but logging sleeper berth in a sleeper truck is important for showing actual rest and not just spending 10 hours at a casino, if a lawyer got a hold of logs in an accident. And then it's also an important distinction when doing splits, as the longer 7/8 hour stretch must be exclusively sleeper.

I usually do the opposite and log sleeper berth for everything not work related to be on the safe side. No one can prove I wasn't in my sleeper berth at any point.

 

I'd love to see a DOT officer try to prove it during an inspection.

And if, God forbid, anyone's in a wreck that attorneys become involved in, I'd rather them jump through hoops finding security camera footage that someone wasn't in SB than have only off duty logged, but to each their own.

If there's an important enough distinction that it matters for things like splits, then someone somewhere cares enough that I just log it accordingly. Might not be a DOT officer, but an auditor, attorney, etc. might care.

I think it's all pedantic, baby sitting BS by the government, but doesn't seem like it's going away anytime soon, sadly.

 

If you're in the SB then it needs to be logged SB. If you're logging SB as off duty that is log falsification. SB doesn't mean you are sleeping, it's telling the DOT where you are located. You'd have to prove you NEVER got into your sleeper during every 10 hour break you ever took.

My safety guy, who is also a lawyer, said if you are off duty and in the truck, log sleeper berth. If you are off duty outside of the truck, log off duty.

DOT won't care much if you never show SB, but a PI lawyer will.

 

I’m probably wrong cause I’m not gonna look it up but doesn’t it say 10 hours consecutive off duty?

The only time sleeper birth must be logged is on a split break. (Laymen’s terms)


Rules say you gotta have 10 hrs off they do not say you have to sleep

 

It'll get you a ticket at some point. Then you have to waste time and money fighting it. And for what? Why so hard headed about it? Why not just log it sleeper?

 

You don't have to sleep, but your body says you do, so when that happens, WHERE you sleep must be accurately detailed in your logs. Since you are obviously sleeping at some time, unless you're superman and going weeks at a time without sleep, you better have receipts for hotels or be able to show WHERE you slept because according to your logs, it wasn't in your truck unless you falsified your logs.

You're not required to show SB because you're not required to sleep in the truck, but if you do, it MUST be logged as SB. Off duty means in a hotel or your house or something, SB means in the truck. Why is that so difficult to understand? It's a violation of the law, if you are in the SB awake or sleeping, logged as off duty. Basically there are very few circumstances where you would be off duty in the truck. Does that make it clearer? If you're in the truck, it's SB.

 

You can log 10 hours off duty if it’s Home Time or a motel.
SB and off duty aren’t interchangeable. Logging off duty while in the SB is a violation. Not logging any SB while out on the road is just asking for trouble.