Logging Yard Move Clarification

Discussion in 'Trucking Industry Regulations' started by Grumppy, Feb 15, 2024.

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  1. Grumppy

    Grumppy Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    I can't seem to find a good clear answer to my question. This gets kinda technical.
    Because it has become a debate, I need the regulation or a link to a FMCSA clarification.

    Our safety department has raised an issue of "yard move".
    They are telling us that it is only legal to log yard move if:
    1) There is specifically a sign that says "Private Property'.
    2) There is a "Gate" present.
    3) There is a "Guard Shack"
    Now, when I put that in quotation marks, I am clarifying that safety is saying ... only and specifically... period.

    If they look on Google maps & there are not one of the three options, yard move is not allowed.

    My understanding is that:
    1) if it is private property, OR
    2) if the property is restricted or is capable of being restricted by a gate, swing arm, lifting arm, chain or rope etc.... something to restrict access at any given time whether intermittently or not OR
    3) if there is a secure check-in process (whether its a licenced, certified guard or an employee of the company) regardless of whether there is a physical guard shack or whether the security/check-in process in within the walls of the company business.
    If any of the above can be reasonably regarded as a secure check-in, closed, private property, not accessible to the general public at will, then its acceptable to use yard move.
    (FYI, I understand that retail business' that cater to the general public like a truck stop or Chucky Cheese is not considered private in this context. Its got to be a truck company yard, shipper, receiver, etc)

    I have just done some research without much clarification of what makes a property allowable for the legal use of yard mode..... OR what the criteria is.

    Safety is wanting us to believe it is word for word specific.... period... no general acceptance. Its either 1, 2, 3... or its not allowable.

    In some of my research today, it looks like there was a commentary period back in 2021 but I couldn't find if there was an outcome to that comment period, which related to a broader terminology of what makes a property allowable to legally use yard move.
    There could have been some rule or language changes during that 2021 period. If so, that's what I am looking for.

    I don't mind some opinions from members here on this but I need some sort of regulation clarification from FMCSA or JJ Keller etc. Links would be great.
     
    Grumppy, Feb 15, 2024
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  2. Judge

    Judge Road Train Member

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    Judge, Feb 15, 2024
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  3. North Pole Nightmare

    North Pole Nightmare Heavy Load Member

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    upload_2024-2-15_18-18-44.png
     
    North Pole Nightmare, Feb 15, 2024
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  4. Magoo1968

    Magoo1968 Road Train Member

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    Reading what judge posted I don’t see any advantage to using yard move .. It starts your clock and breaks up sleeper berth plus is on duty ..
     
    Magoo1968, Feb 15, 2024
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  5. Judge

    Judge Road Train Member

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    It just saves your drive time, goes on duty time.
     
    Judge, Feb 15, 2024
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  6. Dave1837

    Dave1837 Road Train Member

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    It saves drive time. This one place I loaded at, it was 1.8 miles from the gate to the railcars. At 4 mph on duty it was devastating, at 19 mph on duty yard move it wasn't an issue
     
    Dave1837, Feb 15, 2024
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  7. Accidental Trucker

    Accidental Trucker Road Train Member

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    If you’re “out of hours” you can’t drive, but yard move isn’t driving. You can move and then complete the second part of a split and have almost all your clock back.
     
    Accidental Trucker, Feb 15, 2024
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  8. gentleroger

    gentleroger Road Train Member

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    Gets a 30 minute break in at almost every customer.
     
    gentleroger, Feb 15, 2024
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  9. gentleroger

    gentleroger Road Train Member

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    That you're not going to find. Judges link is the best I've seen, but it still allows more room for discussion than which lane to turn right from.

    When we were developing our eld, there was MUCH discussion over this. The discussion was so involved that it was seriously considered to not allow yard move at all and one legal beagel even went to far as to argue that ANY movement needs to logged on line 3.

    Ultimately, productivity won the argument and we got the same three rules you did, just separated by "OR". In my opinion, FMCSA has specifically left the definition of yard move and PC vague because they're too lazy to do their jobs and too afraid of both the carriers and the 'safety' groups.
     
    gentleroger, Feb 15, 2024
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  10. Arctic_fox

    Arctic_fox Experienced mx13 execrator

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    Depends on how its used. I tend to use it when im at a customers yard. Its good for moving from the gate to the dump site to back. Combine that with the time to sweep out and such and i basically always get my 30 min break in. Being a dump truck, its pretty weird that im at a customers more then 45 mins in total and since the nature of my job means im basically moving the entire time i am there save a short 5 to 10 min window to sweep out....well

    Its also useful to keep my drive hours free. Many times i gotta move literally miles across a gravel pit load or unload and so on. Giving on yard move saves me a good half hour to hour of drive time a day, throw on no need for a 30 min break and well. Doesnt sound like much but it means i either can squeeze in an extra load every week and pocket an extra $1500 or i get someplace a little early and gotta wait for them to open so i can squeeze in an extra hour or two of sleep sometimes which is valuable in its own right.
     
    Arctic_fox, Feb 15, 2024
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