Need dot consultant? Dot advice

As long as you stay within 100 air miles you will not need to do a log book. However there is certain things that must be adhered to. The short haul exemption is as follows:

(e) Short-haul operations

(e)(1) 100 air-mile radius driver. A driver is exempt from the requirements of Section 395.8 if:

(e)(1)(i) The driver operates within a 100 air-mile radius of the normal work reporting location;

(e)(1)(ii) The driver, except a driver-salesperson, returns to the work reporting location and is released from work within 12 consecutive hours;

(e)(1)(iii)(A) A property-carrying commercial motor vehicle driver has at least 10 consecutive hours off duty separating each 12 hours on duty;

(e)(1)(iv)(A) A property-carrying commercial motor vehicle driver does not exceed 11 hours maximum driving time following 10 consecutive hours off duty; or

(e)(1)(v) The motor carrier that employs the driver maintains and retains for a period of 6 months accurate and true time records showing:

(e)(1)(v)(A) The time the driver reports for duty each day;
(e)(1)(v)(B) The total number of hours the driver is on duty each day;
(e)(1)(v)(C) The time the driver is released from duty each day; and
(e)(1)(v)(D) The total time for the preceding 7 days in accordance with §395.8(j)(2) for drivers used for the first time or intermittently.


In a nutshell, if you exceed 12 hours (from the time you start say at 0500 hours and you are still driving at 1800 hrs [6:00 p.m.]) you will need a log book for that day. use a time card sheet to record the time you report for duty, the total number of hours on duty every day, what time your released and for the previous 7 days. Hours are maintained at the carrier for a period of 6 months.

You will need to do Post trip inspection forms, verify everything is in working order and correct it if not. This is a written report. These must be maintained for 3 months at the carrier. There is no written report for the pretrip. However the pretrip is still conducted.

Are you staying intrastate or interstate? I'm not sure what State or States you will be driving through. My suggestion is contact State Police commericial vehicle enforcement units of the State or State's you plan to run. If you stay intrastate they may have other requirements or less requirements for you. Hard to say without knowing where you are running. There may also be preventive maintence paperwork that is required of your State that has to be on file at the carrier as well.

 

thatns thats exactly what i need im sorry i forgot to say i would be running in central florida

 

I'd contact Florida DOT. Here's their web site. http://www.dot.state.fl.us/mcco/

They would be able to tell you exactly what they expect.

 

thanx for the help dieselbear

 

OK, I just got my 48 state carrier authority granted yesterday, and almost immediately I received robo calls offering to sell me an expedited version of my authority certificate. Can't I just print and show the pdf file provided by the DOT website, while I wait for the fancy certificate?

Afterall, if anyone questions authenticity of my authority, they can do a search on the DOT website.

 

When doing a post trip at the end of day does it have to be on line 4 or can yu do it on line 1 ? I am new student who just started with schneider.

 

It is part of your work and must be shown on line 4. You would be falsifying your RDS if you did it line 1 and a state or federal inspector would have you for false log, for doing it off duty, and one could also reasonably assume you didn't do it which would violate 396.11. In all probability though only the false RDS charge would be issued depending on the inspector.

 

Also...if i have been driving for 2.5 hrs and i stop and take a quick restroom 3 - 5 min break can i stay on the driving line or do i have to go up to off duty and flag etc. One of my instructors always flagged his stuff ..the other stopped stopped for 5 mins to buy coffee and use the restroom and he said its not necessary to go from the 3 to line 1..

 

I called the FMCSA Colorado office and asked about 393.114 (the use of a head board). I was confused as to if I needed to have cab protection or not while towing a flatbed. With all due respect to other drivers I could not get a strait answer so I picked up the phone and called. It was funny to hear the first response which was that I needed one, then after the guy on the phone read the section it was determined that I do not need one. Well my question is, if the law clearly states that I do not need one and a DOT officer states that I do, what should I do? FYI I have one on my truck but I want to take it off to save a couple hundred pounds.

 

I can't say what the retired DOT officer will advise, but IMHO taking off safety equipment is foolish. If there's any grey area in the law, err on the side of safety and you will be happier. Your life is worth more than a couple of hundred pounds.