Logging off duty when in sleeper. Yes or no?

395.8
(2) A driver operating a commercial motor vehicle must:
(i) Record the driver's duty status using one of the methods under paragraph (a)(1) of this section; and
(ii) Submit the driver's record of duty status to the motor carrier within 13 days of the 24-hour period to which the record pertains.

(b) The duty status shall be recorded as follows:

(1) “Off duty” or “OFF.”

(2) “Sleeper berth” or “SB” (only if a sleeper berth used).

(3) “Driving” or “D.”

(4) “On-duty not driving” or “ON.”

Federal Regulations require drivers using a sleeper berth to log sleeper berth.
There is also a guidance question about a short break out of the sleeper. Response stated a change in status was not required when leaving the sleeper for a short time.

 

Legally yup SB if your behind the curtain.
For years I have been just going off duty, because I get out go in and eat, shower, sleep, pee, etc... all off duty, technically I suppose Im suppose to flip flop back and forth, just not going to do it.
I did have a Texas Trooper write me for getting up, sitting in the passenger seat, he came over ask for my book, gave it to him, and wrote me for sleeping off duty, went to court the judge had a good laugh, ask if I was suppose to log driving for sleeping, dismissed the ticket. He even said the trooper must have been really bored, I told him he kept banging on the sleeper, when I got up I thought he had left, I was wrong he just moved his car. The jugde also told me that trooper would not be waking any more drivers after there conference in chambers.
Life on the road such fun

 

Yuh uh huh... what shall we do with the drunken sailor so early in the mawning...

 

In my career, I have placed many, many drivers out of service for not logging off-duty and sleeper berth properly. A driver will log two periods of off-duty that don't qualify for his 10 hr break and he now finds himself out of service. If he would have done it, or logged it correctly, his split break would qualify. Sleeper berth and off-duty are not the same. When drivers log off duty, they are often just hurting themselves. Driver's may call it "bull-####," but if a driver has exceeded his hours for not getting his 10 hr break, I am required by law to place that driver out of service. It's not something I have discretion on.

 

If there showing 10 hours continuous it really does not matter as far as the logbook. If Iam in the sleeper and its logged as off duty unless Im splitting its really about the same. It is crazy to think that if I wake up and run to the head and Im logger sleeper that I have changed my elog before I left the truck, There should not even be any designation difference, this is just an item to give over zealous Leos another reason to write you, 10 hours is 10 hours, you can sit in the truckstop at the coffe counter or a one armed bandit for the full 10 log it as off duty and your legally still good to go. Just BS,

Drivers need to remember LEO's are not your friend, give them only whats legally required, don't answer there question, everything a LEO does is to hang whom ever there talking with, the ones who hangout here are just trolling to try to find new or better ways to take your money.

 

I just put off duty for maybe 1 hour then show sleeper.... or sleeper first then an hour off duty in the morning before pretrip... tell them you went in for a shower and dinner or breakfast in that time. I'm not changing it for the times I go inside for a midnight dump :/

 

I log off-duty while in the sleeper because I'm an outlaw.

 

I have a B.S. and phd in log books just like a couple drivers here on this thread.

 

4 Frequently Asked Questions about FMCSA Hours of Service