[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

I always used brackets.

Lets say I was in the sleeper from 12 am to 7am and then off duty from 7am to 10am. In this case I would bracket everything from 12 am to 10 am on the remarks time line and draw another line at the 7 am mark. From the "long" bracket I would then draw one remarks line down to state my location.

Then when I would go on duty to do a VI I would bracket that time and make a new remark line stating location and activity.

It satisfies the requirements and makes the log look a lot nicer. Never had any problems or even negative comments from any DOT type or company safety department.

I'm quite sure that any DOT officer looking at your logs would have been smart enough to realize that the entire time from 12 a.m. to 10 a.m. (especially with their knowledge that 10 hours was required if ANY line 1 time was logged,) was spent at the same location as the flag you gave at 12 a.m. I'm sure he would have been pleased and satisfied with a remark flag at 10 a.m. showing the same location, when you changed your duty status from OFF DUTY to line 4.

Now.... how would you have logged the same off duty time if you had the chitz and went from sleeper to truckstop (line 1)... and back... every hour during that time? And more importantly.... how would you log the time going through the cab to get outside to BE on line 1?? :lol2:

[matcat]

Originally Posted by golfhobo

I'm quite sure that any DOT officer looking at your logs would have been smart enough to realize that the entire time from 12 a.m. to 10 a.m. (especially with their knowledge that 10 hours was required if ANY line 1 time was logged,) was spent at the same location as the flag you gave at 12 a.m. I'm sure he would have been pleased and satisfied with a remark flag at 10 a.m. showing the same location, when you changed your duty status from OFF DUTY to line 4.

Now.... how would you have logged the same off duty time if you had the chitz and went from sleeper to truckstop (line 1)... and back... every hour during that time? And more importantly.... how would you log the time going through the cab to get outside to BE on line 1?? :lol2:

But what if he does not have a letter of release of duty, he technically cannot log line 1 or 2 at all, he must be on duty during the entire load!

[Rev.Vassago]

Originally Posted by golfhobo

First, one must agree and understand that the purpose of flagging IS to show the location of a duty status change. No explanation of the activity is required...just the location.

Correct. Nobody ever said anything otherwise.

Second, one must understand that (unless you are teaming) it is impossible to change from line 1 to line 2 directly (or vice versa) without BEING in the same location one was at the last time one flagged going OFF DUTY (either in the sleeper or on line 1.)

You'd be wrong on that. A driver could drop off a truck at a terminal, and report to a different work location entirely upon going back to work. Upon arriving at the work location, they spend a few hours in the sleeper berth waiting to be dispatched (and before they do their PTI). They just went from line 1 to line 2 in two different cities.

You mentioned "unless you are teaming". That means it is possible to change from line 1 to line 2 without being in the same location. That is why the FMCSA has specifically said that you must note the city and state on your log for any duty status change. And yet you said before that "BTW, there is no requirement to 'flag" the location when going from line 1 to line 2 or back."

Third, "bracketing" is not a requirement. One can show just a single flag through the time element that the duty status changed (along with the location,) and it is understood that one is still at that location, regardless of duty status, until another flag shows a different location...or you begin line 3 (driving.)

Again you are wrong.

§395.8 Driver’s record of duty status.

(c) For each change of duty status (e.g., the place of reporting for work, starting to drive, on-duty not driving and where released from work), the name of the city, town or village, with State abbreviation, shall be recorded.

It doesn't say "only line 3 and 4 duty status changes". It very clearly says FOR EACH CHANGE OF DUTY STATUS, THE NAME OF THE CITY, TOWN, OR VILLIAGE, WITH STATE ABBREVIATION, SHALL BE RECORDED.

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by matcat

Yes I do know how and what a legal bracket is, I just drew that line to do it real quick. but unless I am missing something and assuming that line 3 was a different line, that is exactly how it would look, only the bracket would be drawn as an arc below the time line grid.

Okay, getting back on topic.... I'm sorry if you thought I was being flippant. I DON'T understand that "fork" line you drew when you went off duty, but...

My point was that you cannot continue the "bracket" line on the TIMELINE below your line 3 entry. It should have stopped when you went on line 3. According to J.J. Keller's instructions for scannable logs, you don't need either a continuous timeline, OR even a remark line when you started driving from the same location you went off duty at. I realize the regs state (or may be interpreted) differently. But, J.J. Kellar has a long and successful relationship with the DOT and their computers.

I believe you need a vertical line in the TIMELINE grid for EACH change of duty status, but not a FLAG line in the comments section unless the location has changed. However.... I would always include a flagged location remark for a change of duty TO line 3 or 4 following a required OFF DUTY break (even though the location is the same.)

Going back to your original post, what you do is consistent with the examples in the J.J. Kellar scannable logbook. But, I would include a vertical line in the TIMELINE for each change of duty status. For the sake of the computer recognition, I would even include one for a change from line 1 to line 2 or back. However, I don't believe a "flag line" in the remarks section, showing the location, is required.

I ALSO don't believe it is necessary to bracket an entire 10 hour break (or 34 hour restart) on the timeline grid. Especially if you include a location flag for the time and location that you go back on duty.

NOW.... will you PLEASE edit your post and omit the LAST fork in your "dinner fork line?" I am really tired of scrolling because you overstepped the limits of the program!!! :hellno:

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by matcat

But what if he does not have a letter of release of duty, he technically cannot log line 1 or 2 at all, he must be on duty during the entire load!

I'm sure you are just kidding, and of course that is not true. I fear that without a bunch of smilies, some newbie may be confused by this response.

PLEASE EDIT YOUR FORKIN' POST!!!

[Rev.Vassago]

Originally Posted by golfhobo

I believe you need a vertical line in the TIMELINE grid for EACH change of duty status, but not a FLAG line in the comments section unless the location has changed.

§395.8 Driver’s record of duty status.

(c) For each change of duty status, the name of the city, town or village, with State abbreviation, shall be recorded.

[Uturn2001]

Anyone get the impression when it comes to log books golfhobo's starts out with either:

Captain's Log, Stardate......

or

Dear Diary.......

[matcat]

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

Anyone get the impression when it comes to log books golfhobo's starts out with either:

Captain's Log, Stardate......

or

Dear Diary.......

Hey I like that, I am going to start using Captain's log and Stardate on all my logs!

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

Anyone get the impression when it comes to log books golfhobo's starts out with either:

Captain's Log, Stardate......

or

Dear Diary.......

[ I guess I didn't get the joke! ]

My logs are always clean, clear and proper! I've had NO DOT officer spend more than a minute looking them over, because they are "spiffy" enough for them to know that I am doing it right.

Well.... except that ONE guy! HE was right that I was wrong, but I was right that HE was wrong! No problem.... I carried a spare "driver" in my sleeper! :clap:

[Rev.Vassago]

Originally Posted by golfhobo

I've had NO DOT officer spend more than a minute looking them over, because they are "spiffy" enough for them to know that I am doing it right.

If that's the case, you've never really had your logs checked out on the road. The neatness of the log is irrelevant to the correctness of the log.