Profile For Jeff L.

http://www.fleetcleanusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CMVInspections.pdf

We know it's from your company mang. We've been saying all along that's exactly what the problem is.

Top part is straight from DOT, I don't mind Jackass either.........keeps the yard safe.

Pre-Trip Inspection Report: During pre-trip inspections, drivers simply verify that their vehicle is safe to drive. They review the last driver inspection report and sign it if they need to certify that required repairs have been made and that any defects or deficiencies have been noted. Motor carriers are not required to document pre-trip inspections, but the practice is recommended. • The Pre-Trip inspection does not need to be in writing • Each driver MUST be satisfied that the equipment is in proper working condition prior to operating the vehicle • As part of the driver’s Pre-Trip inspection, the drive must review the previous Post-Trip inspection to verify that any needed repairs were made to the vehicle. If Safety defects were noted, an authorized agent of the Company must have certified that the defects were corrected prior to operation • The driver must print and sign on the reviewing driver’s signature line • A driver must not operate a vehicle under Aaron Rents Inc authority if defects were noted and not certified as corrected • Each driver must also be satisfied that the cargo is properly distributed and secured Post-Trip Inspection Report:

Post-trip inspections are more intensive. The FMCSA mandates that drivers submit a written report on each vehicle at the end of each workday. Drivers must assess service brakes (including trailer brake connections), parking brake, steering mechanism, lighting devices and reflectors, tires, horns, windshield wipers, rear vision mirrors, coupling devices, wheels and rims, and emergency equipment. Post-trip inspection reports must detail any defects or deficiency that might cause a vehicle to become a safety hazard (or, if there are none, the driver must indicate this). Any safety hazards that fall under Appendix G of the FMCSR must be immediately addressed by the motor carrier. Motor carriers are required to maintain Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR) for 90 days. (See Resources for Appendix G information and a PDF version of the DVIR). • Each driver is required to complete a written report on each vehicle’s condition at the end of his or her shift • The Post-Trip inspection starts when the driver starts driving… • Inspection forms MUST be completely filled out and signed by the driver • All vehicle inspection components must be checked if OK or marked with an X if defects are noted • All noted defects must be described in detail in the remarks section • Any SAFETY related defects MUST be repaired prior to operation and signed off by a designated agent of the Company • The report must be retained at the store for 90 days in the vehicle maintenance file Now this is from my company

2. If your pretrip walk-around in the morning takes less than 7 minutes, you can flag it off duty, because it’s just a walk around. Doing this can add at least 2 hours back to your clock for the week. For your post trip at the end of the day, the minimum is 10 to 15 minutes on duty.

You guys understand what you have experienced and confuse rules and laws,etc. I have had guys who I have swapped trailers that think certain tandem holes go with certain weights, and found out was overweight by 1000 pounds, over and underflated tires( by the way it is 85 or less not 80 that is illegal) and the list goes on. If your company has rules that are even stricter than DOT's it is no wonder, it keeps you that much farther from screwing up their CSA. I would normally apologize for calling you guys daft, but I cant. Plus I am a TEXAN and pronounce S.O.B.'s - Some a *****es. I look at tires for damage, I shove them, I gage them! Except for a small percentage of drivers, there are some Idiots out there including some the Old School drivers who I refer to as King of The Roads. In fact it is their generation that caused all these issues and the reason a Governmental agencie has to tell them when to go to bed. So from what little psychology I understand, I have to reason that most of you guys feel threatened. If you want to get technical go drive a flat bed, or wide loads, maybe some haz-mat and get out of that Swift truck.

You are some daft S.O.B.'s. I do not break any DOT violations. You don't have all the facts. Plus when I say I shove a tire on a trailer it is to make sure that it is not loose on the rim. I check the tire pressure by gage at the fuel bay because checking it at the yard is pointless unless you can charge them there, plus if the stem is bad you could have a problem. I know why I don't communicate much with you daft S.O.B.'s. My company puts 1500 plus drivers in harms way? plus their CSA? We do a post trip on duty at the end of the day 15 minutes. Do yall really know all the rules. Thanks to the creator of this web site for all the learning programs and CDL test. But this will be the last time I discuss any issues with these dumb S.O.B.'s. I cant wait till two years when you are all on electronic logs.

Jeff wrote:

Get up slowly, take time to check out everything, just do not sit past the end of a ten hour break

What don't you get?

This is bad advice. I give up...do what you want but keep it to yourself because you are misleading people into thinking this is an OK thing to do. It's not and will eventually catch up with you.

Just to clarify, for all the newbies (and Jeff if you care to listen), the correct thing to do is when you reach the 10th hour of your break, put yourself on-duty and at least record 15 minutes for your pre-trip before driving. I don' recommend performing the pre-trip while off-duty for the simple reason if you get injured crawling around your truck and you are off-duty, you might be fired or suspended for performing work when not logged in as "on-duty".

No, that wont happen, since it is our company that expects us to do our walk around off duty. If your company says to do fifteen minutes on record then do so. I actually check out my tractor and each and every trailer I hook to. The point is "Safety". I constantly check through the day and if your pti is the main checklist like they use to have on the back of paper logs, not much is going to change in ten hours. If you wake up and you trailer brake set and your psi is under 60, you may want to take a look at it. your breaks did not change overnight. So you check your tires again, open the hood and check under it for fluids belts, suspension, etc. maybe you see something you did not at night, maybe a tire looses pressure but unless gremlins came and did something or a light burned out not much is going to change in ten hours. There are guys out there that don't even check their headlights, you see them all the time. I turn on all light and flashers check all lines and tires and then under the hood, at fuel bay or stops I check these again plus do maintenance or dump some fuel from filter ect. At end of day I get up under it and do more detailed. The truth being I am one of the few who actually do pretrips and most of the "Newbees" will also unlike some of the more relaxed professional drivers I see just starting up in the morning and taking off.

What is your CPM? What is your truck governed at? Would you explain the city and holdover pay, and amount you get?

Why are so many guys quitting?

You said guys are complaining for lack of miles. Would you say their problem is themself, rather than the company is the problem? That they need to change and learn the basics? You have mentioned many good things like time management and running hard.

Great post. Please keep posting.

I don't really like to use the term running hard, since I am governed 63 mph foot on the floor and 65 with cruise. I would say use your time wisely and do not sit. Every minute you record on a Qualcom system counts. For instance the farthest I have driven in a day(one shift) was 667 miles from Baton Rouge area to Florida. Traveling at early morning , in perfect weather and almost no construction. I stopped with ten and a half hours of driving. I drove smoothly and used time wisely. Get up slowly, take time to check out everything, just do not sit past the end of a ten hour break. Even if you have extra time, it is best to leave and get in position. You never know about traffic, weather, breakdowns or you may even need to swap loads. I believe some guys get bad attitudes or just don't use time wisely. They also may end up in breakdown status. To get miles you have to be able to get back on the horse when knocked off and start all over without complaint. The load managers pass the loads out to the trucks that are running close to their eta and appointment times. If you show up late your just in that place in line. Stuff happens and being able to move on without a bad attitude. Some quit for many reasons. Mostly personal such as families and girlfriends. Some just get frustrated and feel mistreated. Just don't ever get out of your truck unless at their site. I garuntee you if you ask them to route you in so you can turn in the truck, they will get you a load heading in without even asking you why. Some one else will climb into that tractor within moment that you clear out and will set a pta and probably deliver a load long before The Dirty Dog gets you home. Stick it out and keep trying. Use time to your advantage, but above all be safe.

Jeff L. wrote:

When driving start your off duty walk around at the end of your ten hour break, you will need to be in sleeper berth to do this. Take off as soon as the ten hour break is over, don't sit. Try to deliver early, plus get to the location as soon as possible, you never know if you might have tire or mechanical issues that might slow you down.

Jeff, A serious word of caution here to you and any "newbie" reading your post. When I read what you wrote above (in bold) the DOT alarm bells went off, all of them. I assume by the walk-around you are referring to the pre-trip. You must be logged "on-duty" when performing the pre-trip or walk-around as you called it, no exceptions. To be legal, when performing the pre-trip you must show a minimum of 30 minutes of on-duty time with a notation of "pre-trip" on your logs. This 30 minutes of on-duty must be logged before you can begin driving, again no exceptions. Continuing to perform the pre-trip as off-duty, in the sleeper, will eventually get you a hefty ticket if DOT pulls you in for an inspection. Your e-logs is the first thing DOT will review. You are making it too easy for them to write you a ticket.

I definitely understand your point about making the most of your time, but please believe me, you are clearly in violation of current HOS rules. Furthermore if your company audits your logs, they will also see this and may require you to take a log class (taking you away from driving). Remember if you are cited for a log violation it not only effects your safety record but also your employer's safety record.

Safe travels.

Are company expects a off duty walk around of nine minutes or less, Usually five to seven minutes. At the end of the day a 15 minute on duty PTI recorded on-duty. I actually look over the tractor and trailer and then record it usually. If I am at truck stop and need to wash windows or fill air, I cheat and sneak up to the fuel bay, take care of business, then start off-duty walk around. I normally check air with gage at bay during fueling since there is a chance a stem make react badly and start bleeding out. Need to around air if this happens. I check tires by site and shove them to t see how they react when not in bay and have had some sitting on the rim loose that move freely when picking up trailer. We only have to record 15 minutes unloading or loading, 20 minutes for drop and hook, 10 minutes fueling.

Its been great so far, though I am single with not even a dog to feed. I have been on home time three times since I started in April , once when my training was done, once for thanksgiving and now for Christmas. All home times I visited my parents . My training consisted of two weeks out with a trainer or 5000 miles, then 40,000 miles with other trainee. I actually spent over 50,000 out with three different partners which was painstaking as far as compatibility, though one can make large paychecks if they find a compatible partner and keep the truck running non-stop. The reason I was out longer was to get the third partner finished so we could come in to be assigned first seat positions.

My company expects there over the road drivers to be out at least three weeks at a time before home time and state it in there advertisement. The longest you can normally take off is four days or they need the truck back.

The most miles I have gotten in one week was 3674 while the least was 1400 due to time off. I once averaged ten weeks and was somewhere around 2700-2800 a week. I have gotten city and hold over pay. Driver support told me one month that I averaged 25% more miles than their average driver and he wished he could clone me. At the same time I know of a driver who was one of my training partners who was pulled out of his truck and terminated for not driving enough miles and being difficult about his home time. I have heard countless complaints about not getting enough mileage. I sometimes worry and hope I don't get pulled out of the truck I am driving, at least not within the first year. They are concerned with the trucks running, not with who is driving it. They have such a turn over with drivers changing companies or quitting that it is common place. It is just the nature of the beast in a sense, the same beast they all work for also. The non-drivers that is.

When driving start your off duty walk around at the end of your ten hour break, you will need to be in sleeper berth to do this. Take off as soon as the ten hour break is over, don't sit. Try to deliver early, plus get to the location as soon as possible, you never know if you might have tire or mechanical issues that might slow you down. When you pull in to fuel and you are stuck in the bay longer than the time you must record start your thirty minute break so you can shorten you drive day, by not having to take it down the road. Don't stop all the time, the sooner you can get somewhere or run the miles down the sooner you can start your ten hour reset, the sooner you can drive again. Some hot load this will be fatal, every minute will count. It is even possible to do eight shifts in seven days on those weeks where everything runs right.

You should not have problems so much with FM's or load managers as much the problem could and can be time management. Sometimes it is just circumstance like breakdowns or slow weeks. Only a small amount of truckers are civil and a lot of them act like they think they are alpha-males when it is not the case. There are great guys and girls out there driving, just be careful. Use a CB but be ready to turn it off at times. You will understand later. Good luck, Don't Quit , be careful.

I have been told that the randy does not show the curbs as well, but I have the Garmin and it has saved my ass few times when I made bad or wrong turns in downtown areas and rerouted me when my truck navigo was showing nothing. It also lets you know what's coming and takes the confusion out that the navigo can give you if there are multiple turns in a short distance. Get the truck version for turns and grades alone. It has a lot of conveinant features that allow you hands free communication like finding the nearest rest stop or repair center. It will pay off in the long run.

As long as you've got an In-n-Out Hamburger stand nearby, you're good.

They had one of those! Lol it's no wonder truckers are falling out and dying young. The healthiest food at stops is Subway. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die! , slowly....,.ummm.... With complications. I'm going to get a cup of fruit. Peace!