Personal Time "Bobtailing" I asked DOT :)

How far you can drive is also in that article.

 

h
Ok. Thanks for the reply. I was thinking that the truck is under my control. And that my status would be the presiding factor. That the truck isn't as important as the driver who has responsibility over it.

 

Excellent read....

 

Which is just an opinion supported by wishes and unicorns. Here in the real world the laws apply. Heck, even if you are correct 2 of the 3 it did not matter as it was any vehicle over a specific weight...
No, I hope the next thing FMCSA tackles is pc. They really need to define it.
There is guidance about it, and guidance does have some force yes, but it could be much better.

 

Which is wrong, as there are no laws or even guidance stating length of drive.
The closest is "to and from a restaurant in the vicinity"
The other guidance is "to and from terminal to home". Again, no length of haul in that guidance.

 

DOT Guidance, while not subjected to all the rigors of the rule making process, are clarifications of the regulations and ,as such, are binding on the drivers and motor carriers.
Personal Conveyance In Summary
(1) The driver is off duty.
(2) All travel by CMV is local.
(3) The vehicle is unladen (carrying no freight, or even pulling a trailer.
(4)The driver cannot have been placer Out-of-Service (OOS) for exceeding his
or her hours.

From part380.com DOT / CSA Insights: Success Ahead

 

And number 2 is wrong. Local is never mentioned in the guidance. "In vinicity" for the restaurant guidance, and no mention of length in the going home guidance.

 

Also does not say anything about a trailer or not, only unladen.

 

Does law enforcement have the right. To pull you off duty. And make you drive to the weigh station to weigh. Inspect your vehicle and your paper work. Then send you back off duty?

 

I have seen that in Illinois. Some trucks were parked along the offramp leading up to the rest area because they knew the rest area was full. Along about 0600 in teh morning, DOT officers were rousting these drivers up to pull into the rest area then giving them full inspections and tickets for driving after their 14 expired even though they only moved 100 yards, make them do a full 10 hour break again.