Unless you have that paper from your company saying you can make it as off duty. I don't remember what its called. Something about relief of responsibility. If you don't have that paper I don't think you can log it as off duty. I could be wrong. Correct me if I am.

 

thats not proof .... I could lie on my log book and "prove" anything. now if you have a register receipt with the time on it that proves you where not in your truck.

 

You have a very tenuous grasp of HOS....First of all, taking a bathroom break while on a 10 hr break and in the sleeper berth, is not logged on line 4.

Its logged on line 1. Therefore you do not start your 14 hour clock. You just go back in the berth on line 2. "Any combination of 10 hrs on lines 1 & 2 is all that is required" to reset the 11/14. Now, granted, a "Release Letter" is technically required....for the purposes of logging "meals" and other short breaks. However....if all time off was to logged on line 4, then sleeper berth time on line 2 should actually be logged on line 4, because you, without a release letter, are always responsible...right. How can you be responsible if you are asleep?

Does everyone cheat on their logbooks? Maybe some do, you included, however there a lot of us who don't and don't need to. If you wish to continue to believe that you belong to a non-exclusive club that allows anyone to belong...thats ok, but please don't try to paint others with your broad brush...

Not trying to ruffle feathers either 8)

 

Ok just say your 15mins away from a reciever. Its Friday night and they are gonna close for the weekend. Traffic held you up and it delivers today. Your 11 hours is up. OMG are you really gonna sit there all weekend for 15mins or are you gonna pull over and find 15mins in your book. Your wife nor your dispatcher is gonna be happy with you. Tell ya what you sit there and I'll be on my way home or at least on my way to get loaded. Either way I'll be 2 days ahead of you. But I'll give you credit for being 100% honest. Anyway I'm off to Cali. See ya on the big road.

 

This is a very good example of what I've been saying. Granted, one might not have trip planned very well to BE in this "spot," but it could have been traffic or headwinds that caused you to be this tight.

No way in HADES am I gonna sit all weekend, on the side of the road, 15 mins from my delivery!!! :shock: :roll:

But, I don't need to pull over and "find" 15 mins, either. I will drive on in and "dock it." Then I'll catch up my logbook to THAT change of duty status, but I'll say I got there at the end of my 11 hours. ONCE I AM THERE, the DOT cannot prove I didn't "average" a certain speed that got me there in time.

Sure, I'm taking a bit of a risk. I might be involved in an accident in that last 15 mins. But, if I park on the side of the interstate for a whole weekend, some drunk will probably slam into the back of my trailer and kill himself and perhaps OTHERS! Which makes more sense to YOU? Not to mention the crap I will take from my dispatcher.... if I don't get FIRED for it!

Actually, I don't really have to worry about being in an accident in that LAST 15 minutes, because I will have "averaged" my time in a PREVIOUS block between duty status changes so that I have plenty of time to get to my destination, and NO ONE can prove what time I got to my LAST break point, (or how long I sat there) because it is now HISTORY.

Was I behind the wheel for 11 hours AND 15 mins? Yeah, maybe...thanks to some stupid 4wheeler that caused a traffic jam! (maybe not! Maybe I actually stopped to pee at a rest area and didn't even bother to log it!) Am I DRIVING beyond my 14 hour window?? NO!!!!

 

KayCee said:

golfhobo,

Yes, I understand what the rules "say." And I have read and DO understand the rationale behind them. Applying their rationale, and for the most part staying within it, I will "interpret" the rules.... or break them... to do the job as I feel it should be done. Within reason.

I KNOW what you "showed." But, I point you back to the original post. He wanted to know if anyone could "attest" to the statement made by his trainer. I believe there have been MANY attestations concerning the question, and he should be able to form his own opinion of what is, or should, or could be done. Please pay close attention to MY first post in response.

Later, someone mentioned averaging his speed. I THEN posted a reply to THAT statement, which ALSO said it was illegal, but went on to say what I would do. I'm not sure, based on my first two posts, that you could say I condone speed averaging. I was giving the O/P information based on his question.

I can understand your position. However, I choose to participate on this board in a slightly different way. Sometimes posters want to know (or need to know) what the regulations say. I think I have proven that I can help them with that... and so have you. Sometimes, they want to know what reality is, and I am more than willing to share what I know about THAT.

It might be MORE interesting for you to know that the 70 hour rule almost NEVER applies to me. I team coast to coast, and get home every week for a "restart." It is RARE that I need to "get more miles" than I can legally get in a day. In fact, I usually only drive about 10 hours worth. However, I "think" I understand some of the pressures on the solo drivers, and I often post my thoughts or suggestions with THEM in mind. I probably COULD log everything strictly legal, and never have a problem. I just don't WANT to. (Actually, even in teaming, sometimes it is beneficial to me to "fudge" a bit.) Yes, I feel strongly about the rationale behind the 14 hour window. And, yes, I feel strongly about my "perceived" RIGHT to get a certain number of miles in per day, within the realm of possibility, so that my schedule is not interrupted. If this means "bending" the 11 hour rule by a small amount, then so be it. (Although, I rarely need to.)

I'm not sure what this is about, but if you drove that triple digit truck as fast as you implied, and only got one ticket, then yes, you are lucky. I have a bit of a lead foot myself, and will probably NOT be so lucky. I am also very "proactive" around traffic, and can usually manipulate them out of my way. I believe I am a SAFE driver, but not a SLOW one. I am well aware of the weight I am in control of, and my responsibilities to the public. I had criss-crossed this country MANY times before I ever got into trucking, so I have no idea how many miles I have driven.

As a "trucker" I admit I am still a newbie (though not a rookie.) But, as a confident 50 year old man, I just don't see any great mystique to it. I'm SURE that I have more to learn, but unlike some, I don't see that there is something NEW to learn EVERY day. Now, SOME would say that is a reason for me to "hang up my keys." Sorry.... not gonna happen!

As for government regs, I used to help write them. I KNOW what they mean, and what they leave out. I know how to get "around" them, and what shouldn't be messed with. I guess I'm a bit of a "rebel" but that is my life. I have no problem with you quoting regs, and I don't think I have ever actually told someone they SHOULD cheat, either. I may have told them HOW to if they WANT to know. So, hopefully, we'll agree that we each can and will participate here in the manner we choose. I hope there are no ill feelings.