[Rookie McRookerson]

I just finished my OTR training with a trainer. I am in a moral dilemma.

One of the first days out my trainer advised me of how to, what I preceived as, forge my logs. I let it go for a couple of days. But, the more it happened the more it bothered me. We finally had a real serious talk about whether we could continue together. I'm wondering if I was just being nieve to the way the real trucking world runs. I'll give a couple examples below. I'd appreciate some feedback from you guys.

1) HOS rules say that when you are waiting to be loaded or unloaded at a dock, you must log yourself as on duty not driving.

2) The same goes for after you are empty and waiting to be dispatched on another load.

3) Whenever you are completing paperwork related to your work you must log yourself on duty not driving.

These are just a few examples. The longer we were together the more I saw his point that if you follow the HOS rules you will burn up all your hours just sitting and not be able to average even 1,500 miles per week.

Everything I've heard was to not cheat on your logs. That warning kept ringing in my ears.

His point was that that every driver does it and if I don't, I won't make any money.

Help me understand how logging works in the real world. Next week I'll get my truck assignment and be out on my own. I'd like to get my head around this issue before I get out on my own.

[thebaldeagle655]

On duty time means all time from the time a driver begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work. On duty time shall include:

(1) All time at a plant, terminal, facility, or other property of a motor carrier or shipper, or on any public property, waiting to be dispatched, unless the driver has been relieved from duty by the motor carrier;


Your carrier should provide you with a letter on their letterhead relieving you of duty when not physically loading, unloading etc.

No, it's not falsification, if yo have the documentation from yoru employer you will be fine.

[Uturn2001]

An acid test as to whether or not you can log off duty is: Can you do what you want to do during that period of time without losing your job or getting a reprimand? If the answer is yes then you can log off duty.

Do not over think this and try to create a bunch of what-ifs. Just simply ask the question "Am I free to do what I want?" and assign a yes or no answer to it.

[Rookie McRookerson]

Originally Posted by thebaldeagle655

On duty time means all time from the time a driver begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work. On duty time shall include:

(1) All time at a plant, terminal, facility, or other property of a motor carrier or shipper, or on any public property, waiting to be dispatched, unless the driver has been relieved from duty by the motor carrier;


Your carrier should provide you with a letter on their letterhead relieving you of duty when not physically loading, unloading etc.

No, it's not falsification, if yo have the documentation from yoru employer you will be fine.

I did receive a little card from the Safety Director during orientation. I didn't understand what it meant at the time. It may be just what you are referring to. It reads:

"In compliance with D.O.T. regulation 395.2, you are hereby notified that you are relieved from any and all duty when making routine stops while enroute. The duration of your relief shall not be less than 30 minutes. The meal or routine stop may be logged as "OFF DUTY" time."

Is this what you are referring to?

[Uturn2001]

Yes, that is what he is talking about.

[Uturn2001]

Now remember, just because you have that card, logging off duty for short periods of time does not stop the 14 hour rule. All it does is save your hours on the 70 hour rule.

[Roadhog]

I have a similar document from my Employer.
Also...when I first started out...
I had one book and a medium black ink pen. :lol:

Even a President bends the rules. :lol:

Do what you feel comfortable with...and don't concern yourself with what anyone else is doing. After a year or so...you will see yourself developing into the kind of Trucker you want to be, and be doing the kind of Trucking you want to do.

Brace yourself. There will be bigger challenges ahead than just figuring out your coloring book. You will need to adapt and make other adjustments...and those things are yours to figure out. What might be easy for some is hard for others...so...keep in mind...starting out is tough for us all...and it really doesn't get any easier. You just learn to deal with it, or you quit.

Learning is an ongoing process. No matter how long you drive...you will still be learning new things.

P.S..... :shock: Leave your Service Weapon at home... :lol:
You will be tempted to go to gunpoint 20 times a day as a Trucker. :lol:
Especially at the Docks. :evil: :lol:

[silvan]

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

Do not over think this and try to create a bunch of what-ifs. Just simply ask the question "Am I free to do what I want?" and assign a yes or no answer to it.

Another example is if you are BSing with the people on the docks for awhile after loading or unloading. My card used to say I could only log off duty if the vehicle was locked and chocked, so technically if I was still up against the dock with the doors open, it wasn't locked and chocked, but I'd log that 15 minutes of chat time off-duty anyway, because I was free to do whatever I wanted for that time, and could have walked away from the truck or whatever, so long as I got everything rolling again in time to make the next appointment.

All of that went out the window with the new HOS rules though. I don't think I have ever touched line 1 again except when I am physically done with a run and at home, and I don't even have an off duty card where I'm at now. That new 14 hour rule ate all my BSing with friends time, and all my stopping to eat time, and I had to start just hammering down to get it all done before the deadline, because I used to have a Monday run that took every ounce of 14.00 hours to get it all done, and I mean cramming it with a hydraulic ram to compress it enough to just barely fit under about 50,000 psi ready to pop loose and leak out over the line. That run is why I have gray hair.

In contrast, I'm working more hours more days now, but nothing is tight. I hate tight running. (Although I'd still be running tight as a banjo string on Mondays if I could have Tuedays, Fridays, AND Saturdays off. I miss that job. )

[Fredog]

Originally Posted by Rookie McRookerson

I just finished my OTR training with a trainer. I am in a moral dilemma.

One of the first days out my trainer advised me of how to, what I preceived as, forge my logs. I let it go for a couple of days. But, the more it happened the more it bothered me. We finally had a real serious talk about whether we could continue together. I'm wondering if I was just being nieve to the way the real trucking world runs. I'll give a couple examples below. I'd appreciate some feedback from you guys.

1) HOS rules say that when you are waiting to be loaded or unloaded at a dock, you must log yourself as on duty not driving.

2) The same goes for after you are empty and waiting to be dispatched on another load.

3) Whenever you are completing paperwork related to your work you must log yourself on duty not driving.

These are just a few examples. The longer we were together the more I saw his point that if you follow the HOS rules you will burn up all your hours just sitting and not be able to average even 1,500 miles per week.

Everything I've heard was to not cheat on your logs. That warning kept ringing in my ears.

His point was that that every driver does it and if I don't, I won't make any money.

Help me understand how logging works in the real world. Next week I'll get my truck assignment and be out on my own. I'd like to get my head around this issue before I get out on my own.

if you cant make a decent salary without cheating, you are working for the wrong company. YOU are the one who will go to jail if something happens and you are caught.

[Rookie McRookerson]

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

Now remember, just because you have that card, logging off duty for short periods of time does not stop the 14 hour rule. All it does is save your hours on the 70 hour rule.

Yeah, I understand that part. Once the 14 hour clock starts, it doesn't stop. My concern was regarding eating up the 70.

Thanks!