DOT weekend

[Fredog]

§382.207 Pre-duty use.

No driver shall perform safety-sensitive functions within four hours after using alcohol. No employer having actual knowledge that a driver has used alcohol within four hours shall permit a driver to perform or continue to perform safety-sensitive functions.
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[66 FR 431006 August 17, 2001][/color]

And your point? That pretty much says what the officer said.

that is not what you said he said, not even close

[silvan]

BAC limit while operating a CMV is .04

Plus there's an "any detectable amount" rule that puts you out of service for 24 hours if you blow anything at all. I can't find that rule, although I found several rule summary sites that repeat it without referring to the chapter and verse in the regs.

[BigDiesel]

I got a level 5 yesterday for 4 hours!!!

4 hours ????? A Level 5 inspection is the same as a Level 1 inspection but w/o the driver. Level 1's should only take 30 to 40 minutes by FMCSA standards. So a Level 5 should take about 30 minutes.

It was my safety audit which included a Power Point Presentation on his laptop. It was pretty weird having a DOT cop in full uniform sitting in my living room after my truck inspection. He was mine for the whole day if I wanted. I guess I meant to say I got a level 1 and 5.

One thing he talked about was alcohol. He said I can drink all I want in the cab during my 10 hour off time just as long as I blow the states legal limit before I drive and I throw away everything in the morning before I leave.
I guess that's why truck stops sell beer and wine.

He was also out on the 72 hour blitz pulling trucks over at random right on the highway.

Ahh !!!! The safety audit... Mine took about 4 hrs also.

[allan5oh]

The law here states you cannot be intoxicated and have "care or control" of a vehicle. In other words, within proximity of the vehicle(not necessarily in it) and have the keys on the person.

[Hat Rak]

I have a feeling that the alcohol in trucks while off-duty depends on the state your in, Steve. The things I have heard, despite there being information in the FMCSR (ie a BAC of .04 in a CMV is a DUI, and any detectable amount leading to a 24 hour OOS), indicate to me that different states, maybe even different counties will or will not tolerate drinking in the truck. Some truckstops will sell beer because they have a local market to cater to, but do they also serve alcohol in their diner? I don't recall ever seeing one.

What you heard from the officer is true for when you are in the state of NH, which is a controlled state obviously.

But, if you choose to drink in the truck, do it in the sleeper, and get rid of the container as soon as your done.

And lucky me, I didn't do any running in the truck this week, I worked in the shop all weekend and did one local run before the blitz. The scale up by the TN / KY border was locked up all week, and the KY scale is pratically out of the ground with the construction.

The only bad part about drinking for me is that I don't like beer or wine. The older I get the less I can drink. I fall asleep after a few anyways. If I'm near a restaurant that serves liquor I'll have a few Margareta's then hit the hay.