Told by DOT that I'm supposed to be on-duty at dock EVEN IN SLEEPER

You guys are talking too much to the dot, you do not have to verbally explain anything, make better notes on your log. Like dropped trailer at shipper, instead of loading or dropped trailer at receiver instead of unloading, then go off duty, I spend 10 hour breaks at shippers and receivers as the tend to be a safe place to park. DOT is not going to tell me I cannot sleep in the sleeper anywhere I'm off the road. The most I might explain is parked off the roadway to take sleeper.

 

Utah POE is wrong, whenever I'm at a customer, if I'm not physically involved in the loading/unloading process, I'm in the truck and off-duty or sleeper. The problem with the POE interpretation, that would make the use of split sleeper non-existent. This past Monday I loaded at a customer in Montrose, Co., when I arrived I went on-duty yard move while I checked in and backed into the dock. As soon as my brakes were set, I went turned off yard move and then went to sleeper and took a 90 minute cat nap while they loaded me. As soon as they were done loading I went into yard move to pull out, close the doors, scale and do paperwork, my YM setting automatically changes to driving at 20 mph so I never touched it. I also have a piece of paper in my permit book from the company that relieves me from duty while loading/unloading unless I'm physically involved in the process.

 

Utah POE is right.

 

If you are not needed or allowed during the loading / unloading process, give them your phone number so you do not have to be in attendance or a party to loading or unloading. Then call your dispatch request off duty status. Stop talking to the police, give them the documents they require and shut up. You are not required to incriminate yourself. If they ask tell them you were relieved of all responsibilities by your company. Keep the text by the way. I always go off duty when waiting for loading or unloading, and will continue to do so.
There is a difference of opinion on this one, but If your not required to be in attendance, or watch anything, waiting for a call does not require you to be on duty. You have to go on duty to sign the bill's and hook back up. Notes in your log like " drop trailer at shipper or receiver" can save you a lot of grief.

 

This is pretty simple. You either in the sleeper or not and you log it that way. If you in the sleeper, you cannot be on duty.
I always logged pick ups or deliveries as no more than 15 min on duty and then on the sleeper line, when finished, I logged no more than 15 min on duty check out time and off I went.
If detention was more than two hours, I always used it for the sleeper berth split combination.

Rarely was I ever in the sleeper for more than 7 consecutive hours. I never logged a restroom/walk the dog/visit at a nearby cassino interruptions. You can call me a cheater.

 

Ohio is known for citing drivers who are out of their truck and logged in sleeper berth.

 

How can you possibly attend the loading and unloading process when you're in bed/asleep?

 

If your out of the truck why are you talking to DOT.

 

If the DOT officer wasn't there, how would he know what you are doing? Now if you lay it out there and incriminate yourself, well, that's on you.

 

The DOT officer comes up to you and says "inspection".

I suppose one could ignore them and walk away...