Paper Log Distance to Time Question DOT

Well, before submitting our terminal logs to corporate we audit them. One driver got flagged and had to amend his logs. Our terminal safety manager thought logging 129 mph didn't seem right...

 

I always logged 6 mph under the posted speed limit. Never had a problem.

 

Slower than that

 

Whenever our insurance company audits us, my boss gives them my logs, they are the neatest and easiest to read. The insurance company knows what kind of power we run and what we are gov. at. It sucks when the insurance guy looks at your log, scratches his head, pulls out his calculator, recalculates it 4 times, and then inquires how a truck gov. at 75 mph is able to make it from Denver to Amarillo in 4 hrs.. I tried to tell him tail wind, he didn't buy it, I had to redo that log, it was my mistake.

 

Dot: "so where you headed?"

Chaoss: " probably prison, if you see my logbook...."

 

The rule of thumb has pretty much always been no more than 5mph Under posted speed limit for the log segment(and overall)and somewhere in the regs--under guidance for the inspectors that is pretty much implied...as for checking depends on where you are and/or how hard the Inspector feels like working--and as always attitude etc...In my experience--expect it to happen at any inspection in Cali--and the northern plains states....Had them check every time in MN-Montana and the Dakotas---Iowa troopers and DOT(gold and blue cars)have infared scanning ability to auto program in their laptops....So as usual the bottom line--like it or don't is log it exactly like you did it--and run legal in all aspects--and no worries...

 

My truck does the posted speed limit, whatever it happens to be, and my book reflects that. I have not had a problem to this point, going on 22 yrs.

 

On paper I never logged higher than 4 mph under posted .. I had to mark ifta mileage state to state .. now on elog I find the avg speed higher than I would log on paper some days

 

They've put the calculator to me but I don't know if he was using distance between cities or my start/finish odometer reading. Either way I've never been ticketed. My father in the other hand....I think he might have been.

 

If you have an overzealous "Safety Person" at your company and they get tired of spying on drivers they may calculate your times .I remember a driver at my old job"big ole boy,kinda slow,kinda ugly in the face" anyway he tried to log 800 miles on 11 hours driving,saying"its 75 mph in Eastern Kansas" Yeah,but you started in Missouri and did 6 appliance stops on your route and then drove back in Missouri.It didnt fly with the Safety Dept big wig.I know drivers like to save as much drive time as possible.Back when I had a paper log,I showed 5mph under the speed limit,worked fine.JMO