personal conveyance thread

I disagree. You are the one saying ONLY these examples the guidance doesn't say ONLY. This is only guidance giving examples. It is not quoting a regulation.

 

Additionally temporary work locations can be considered terminals, but this cannot used to reposition the vehicle. In other words the personal use usually must be a round trip. For example one cannot leave his trailer at one location, bobtail home or to a motel and then pick up a trailer at a different location and then claim the move was for personal use.

Best regards

 

I'm going to side with Scalemaster. Abuse of this reg. will result in it's removal. If we abuse it then it will be taken away, just a question of when.

Moving mty's and hookin 'em half way across the country to get home are clear violations of the "spirit" of the law...or as it was intended.

Kudos to Crete on the bobtail req., I believe that is also the spirit of the law. Toting an mty on pc leaves too many doors open to interpretation by deputy dawg.....for after all, on the side of the road, what he says is how it's going to be.

My 2 cents

 

i own my truck and trailer, if i unload in houston, decide to go home in ga, i am empty. i am under no direction from company. i go to line off duty and flag personal conveyance to home. 800 miles away. i always log mine that way. then after i get dispatched at home, i log on duty driving to pick up the load.

i have never encountered any problems.

the trick is to show it on logs and have it current if pulled over and not come up with the story after being pulled over. there is no mileage distance stated for the going home use.

there is many misconceptions about what is dot law and what is company state there policy is.

many of you post what your companies policy is, and condo cruiser you have the rule slightly confused.

some of you just totally dont understand some us are married to our trailer, i aint leaving my trl unless i bobtail into a shop at the t/a

 

As Scalemaster said, they were the only two situations addressed. This interpretation was written over 35 years ago and my opinion is that within certain parameters other “personal” destinations
"may" be acceptable. Of course my opinion is not binding on those who do the enforcing.

Best regards

 

The problem with the short distance part of the regulation is that it leaves it up to the DOT certified Trooper to decide what a short distance is. I live roughly 90 to the yard and have to pass the Banning Coops. I log on duty driving when bobtailing to the yard to p/u a trailer just to be safe.

 

Looks to me like it states that the "short distance" clause is for en-route lodgings and restaurants, not your home.



When a driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work, time spent traveling from a driver's home to his/her terminal (normal work reporting location), or from a driver's terminal to his/her home, may be considered off-duty time. Similarly, time spent traveling short distances from a driver's en route lodgings (such as en route terminals or motels) to restaurants in the vicinity of such lodgings may be considered off-duty time.

Best regards

 

I agree with you dibstr. My response was to skateboardman. I consider anything less than 30 miles to be a short distance. BTW most companies do have a policy of some sort limiting how far their company drivers can use their trucks for personal conveyance. IMO I would log anything over 30 miles as on duty driving to protect myself.

 

I agree with Meltom. It's one of them gray area's that the regs seem to do a lot of.

When you have gray area's, people will do their own interpretation of what they think they mean.

Sometimes I think the regs are designed to confuse with all their references. They draw so many questions it's ridiculous. Hello? That usually means they are poorly written.

The bottom line is they don't want drivers driving tired. So put two and two together. If you are at your 14 and going home, I highly doubt they want to make an exception so one can get to the house.

I don't think anyone reads the regs more than the members here along with safety directors and leo's. They ought to read TTR to get feedback on how they can improve things.

 

I disagree on the round trip issue . Our drivers work from two terminals. They may finish at one and bobtail home off duty without receiving another dispatch at the time . They later may be dispatched to the other terminal.
Bottom line though , when you are relieved of duty and log off duty you are exempt from FMCSR . I even read a guidance where you can stop and buy alcohol on the way home and carry it in the tractor because you are off duty and unregulated.