Question about driving on hometime??

You are only allowed "off duty driving" if you drop the trailer and bobtail. You must return to the same point from where you started to resume "driving" status. This is called personal conveyance and you can never do it while hooked to a trailer.

 

Well, according to RickG's correspondence with a FMCSA inspector, you can consider it personal conveyance with a trailer as long as it is empty...

And, per the FMCSA website guidance on the ruling as Rick pointed out:

 

I've been inspected at scales 4 times in 14 years while bobtailing, but have been waved through almost all roadside DOT checks while bobtailing.

 

Also remember if your bobtailing or pulling a mt trailer and your being paid deadhaed mileage to do it then you should be logging driving even if your returning to a yard as all paid miles should be logged.

 

wouldn't it be safer to just log it when you have the trailer and spend a few hours extra down than to get a big ticket and points for a log violation? I always try to err on the safe side that keeps mister bear happy and me happy also.

 

Also my understanding of the personal conveyance exception is the part about reasonable distance. Say a Driver lives 90 miles from the yard and can bobtail home. Would you log that. I would. My best guess is most DOT Bears consider 20-30 miles as a resonable distance depending on the area. When pulling a trailer even if its MT I was always told to log line 4.

 

You were "always" told to log line 4 when driving? Unless someone knows different the only time you can legally drive and log line 4 is when making multiple stops(an exception to the rule) in the same town. The term on duty "not driving" probably could be a big hint right?
When I am using my truck(bobtail), not in the course of any business, which would fall under personal use, I use it as a "personal vehicle" and do not log this and it does not matter the miles. If you are a company driver you need to know the company rules. Most companies give a card to show that you are relieved of company duties while eating and such so the same could apply on personal use driving. As for pulling a trailer you are in a gray area if a "Barney" law stops you.
Note some interesting facts:
Insurance classifications are;
1)- Bobtail
2)- Physical damage
3)- Laden liability
4)- Unladen liability
5)- Workman's comp
If a driver is "off duty" and falls out of a truck workmans comp. does not apply. If a driver is not in danger of running out of hours and more especially if heading home that will result in a 34 restart, I would log the time. The reason should be obvious. I would "always" log driving when pulling a trailer.
I would also make sure all paperwork from the last load was finished and tripped(including logs up to that point) before heading home. Paperwork can not be done at home on off time so carrying unfinished work is not good.

 

QUestion does this include Bobtailing and logging it as POV? DOes this interupt your 34?

 

When I worked for Werner I was 70 miles from home and dropped a loaded trailer and picked up a mt. I then went to fuel up and then I sent a request for prsonal drive time (As you know werner is electronic logs.) SO I sent the request and they granted the request on the term I drive straight home no stopping except for stop lights. I was fortunate to drop the mt trailer a 1/2 mile away and parked the bob tail in my driveway. When I received a copy of my logs it was noted as line 1 prsonal drive time. Well thats my 2 cents at least.

 

I'm an OO for a larger company (I know, that's an argument for another thread), and we've been told rather clearly how Personal Conveyance works. To the point where the drivers had to start informing our Logs Dept again what they rules are as they've felt the idea that any time the truck moves is on-duty.

If you're being paid for the miles, it's on-duty always.
If you're hauling a loaded trailer, it's on-duty always.

If you're on home time empty, it's off-duty always.
If you're unladen, and you're not advancing towards your next pickup, it's off-duty.
If you've dropped your loaded trailer someplace (with permission, of course) it's off-duty.

The biggie is dealing with pickups that aren't ready yet. You've been paid to drive to the customer, show up, and they say 'come back tomorrow, product's not ready yet'. Leaving with the empty trailer is off-duty driving. RETURNING to the facility after going for food, hotel, showers, etc is also off-duty as you're returning (OOIDA showed me where in the rule book this was so I could explain to my Logs Dept who then agreed I was right).

Now, if you've shown up at a customer, and bobtail out to buy load locks... that's on-duty time.

I had a friend driver over 200 miles with an empty for hometime to a location that wasn't his place of residence as shown on his license. Got a DOT Level 1 en route and passed. They scrutinized him, but he was empty, and he passed.

If what you're doing is legal, you shouldn't fear the DOT.