Logging on duty while waiting for a load?

Okay I’m new to trucking. Working for a big carrier. One of the worst. lol but one of their drivers came up to me today and told me a “cheat”? But I’m not sure on the legality of it? He claims to have been doing it for a few months.


From my understanding. When waiting around for loads we are obvi off duty trying to preserve our time clock. But he claims to be on duty EVERYDAY even when waiting for loads. Something to do with California law and if he’s in the truck waiting he’s on duty regardless.. and they can’t legally tell him to clock off? So he gets paid minimum wage at the end of the week even if his miles are low for the hours? He showed me a stub of his pay for 300 miles was still $1200. I was trying to understand. Can anyone make sense of this? He says he dm frowns down upon it but can’t stop it?
Please and thank you for any clarification

 

Technically, he’s right if my understanding of Cali law is correct. That said, I can tell you this with absolute certainty. The employee may win a few battles here and there, but the company will ALWAYS win the war.

Bottom line, they’ll figure out a way to get rid of him should they choose to do so.

 

Yes might as well stay on duty if you already have your 14 hr clock running,unless you will be waiting at least 2 hours,then you could go to split break and stop the 14 hour clock.
Just stay on duty and in the eld remark click or type in waiting for load.

 

Yup. You can bet that that time saver guy is on a list somewhere handy for when they get a replacement for him..

 

If you stay on duty when you're waiting for dispatch, and sitting at the dock, that's a huge chunk of time out of your 70 and a huge pay cut. I suppose nobody cares.

 

I’m on salary rather than mileage or hourly, so I get paid the same to wait or drive and the same for 200 miles as 700. I still conserve every minute I can because I do sometimes have to drive 700 miles. In my experience, it’s always better to have available clock time.

 

only way i’d stay on duty is like a company i used to work, they paid us by the hour M-F
That’s how they paid, hours off your book.

 

Been sitting since thursday morning with no load. Don’t get paid a dime while sitting. This company you’re looking at making only 600-800 a week on average with what they give you.

So you’d for sure make more money just logging on duty and getting your min wage at the end of the week… it makes sense why this guy does it

 

This was my post (op) didn’t know I wasn’t logged in woops.

I’m just trying to decide the risk reward of going this route. He claims to be doing this since October with no issues. And if it’s legal (just frowned down upon).. I really would rather not be at this company for longer than 3 months anyway.

 

I don't know CA laws, but if it does say that all on duty time has to be paid at minimum wage it would make sense to stay on duty while loading and unloading.
Unless you are getting enough miles to more than break even in the process.

And of course the company would frown on anything that made them pay you any more than they absolutely had to.
They could not fire you for staying on duty, but they might find some other reason.