What's the scoop regarding "off duty" time between runs ?

I'm given a load to haul, I haul it, they unload my trailer then tell me it will be 6 hours before I'm ready to roll again. I've been told I do not get paid fot the six hours of Off-Duty time as i waited for my next load. I have a few questions about this :

- why don't truckers get paid for this "down time" ?
- Can I leave my rig, maybe go take in a movie, or do I have to stay near the rig at all times (which I would think ought to be On-Duty time)
- Over time, how does this non-paid hold-over time average out, or does it not do so?

 

If you are required by your company to stay with the rig during loading/unloading then technically that is considered on-duty time, but if you are paid by the mile then it doesn't matter anyway as you won't get paid for the time spent waiting. I usually logged my waiting time in the sleeper and watched a movie, played a video game, or slept while waiting.

Now if you get paid hourly and your company is telling you to log loading time as off duty then they are releasing you of all responsibility of the truck and cargo in which you can use that time for whatever you wish. If they are forcing you to stay with the truck the time should be listed as on duty and you should get paid for it...if you are paid by the hour.

 

only 6 hours off between loads go kiss your dispatcher

 

if you log 6 hours on duty time while your away watching a movie. that's 6 hours less driving time you have for the week. and for the day.

so now you use 6 hours away from your truck ON DUTY. now your 14 is up. and now you have to take your 10 OFF DUTY. (sleeper)

you have to be smart how you use your hours. or you won't have any hours to use.

no hours means no miles.

no miles mean no paycheck

 

if he only worked 3 hours or so. why does he need more then 6 hours???? that's a good opportunity to take an 8. and start with a fresh 14.

or however you guys do it.

 

An 8 won't give you a fresh 14 . It'll only give you the balance of the 14 from what you used before the 8 . If you work 6 then take 8 you can only work 8 before another break .

 

Ok I misunderstood. I thought it was 6 hours being loaded...6 hours between loads, get used to it. I have sat entire holiday weekends where I wasn't allowed to go home because "we need trucks available" yet there were no loads available until after the holiday.

 

This individual has just figured out a big part of why yearly turnover in the OTR trucking industry is in the neighborhood of 100%!!! It is what it is. You can always work buffing floors at the school nights, otherwise, as a driver, figure on a lot of "lost, uncompensated time", month in and month out.

 

If u go on-duty and go to the movies u are falsifying federal documents..

 

Then is he/she falsifying logs if they're showing OFF-duty and in the truck as they sit 4 hours at the dock being loaded?