Splitting Sleeper Berth Questions

If you go to the practice tests on this site, you will see there is actually an explanation for it and questions to make sure you understand it.

basically it is you drive say 5 hours, then sleeper for 8 hours. you can then drive for another couple hours, then take 2 hours off (sleeper or off duty). This resets your 14 hr clock once you take the 2 hours. The 8 hours delays it, but the additional 2 hours resets it because now you have a total of 10 hours. Does that make sense?

Driving teams you rarely even care about the clocks because one of you almost always has time to drive so the truck never stops. Driving solo, the drive time is really important, but solo is given more time between pick up and drop off that this is not really used much. I was confused and nervous about it and my head swirled... then i realized with 2 different trainers and three months on the road it was not really used.

Just be sure not to go past 8 hours without a 30 min break. (down time at shipper/receiver can count as the 30 min break), do not go over the 11 hour drive time... and honestly... the electronic qualcomm will tell you if you are getting close. It will beep at 7 hours of driving to tell you about the 30 min break.. then will beep at 7:30 hours... then 7:50 hours.... then it beeps at 10 hours... so the machine will let you know. worry about driving lol

Concerning the samples on the site, even though the examples do not show it: keep in mind that a Pre-Trip is required and counts against your 14hr clock.

(down time at shipper/receiver can count as the 30 min break),

nope.

*pulls out the green trucker bible* (aka FMC safety regulations book)

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. (2) all time inspecting, servicing or conditioning any cmv at any time (this means pre trips, fueling, washing, etc) (3)all driving time as defined in driving time (basically on duty driving) (4) all time in or on a CMV other than: (i) time spent resting in or on a parked vehicle except as otherwise provided in this chapter (ii) time spent resting in sleeper birth (iii) up to 2 hours riding in the passenger seat of a property carrying vehicle moving on the highway immediately before or after at least 8 consecutive hours in sleeper birth (5) All time loading or unloading a CMV, supervising, or assisting in the loading or unloading, attending a CMV vehicle being loaded or unloaded, remaining in readiness to operate the cmv, or in giving and receiving receipts for shipments loaded or unloaded.

not gonna type up the other 9 paragraphs... got to my point with #5 :)

there's no such thing as downtime at the shipper or reciever... why do you think people get mad and demand things like layover pay and what not when they have to wait at a shipper / receiver... cause it's going against their max on duty hours (14) but they're not being paid cause the wheels ain't rollin' Heck if you could just go put yourself in off duty while you were being loaded / unloaded there'd be much less issue.

You still "can" you're just not legally allowed to and when you got paperwork that says you arrived at x time, loading started at y time and you signed said load at z time (or whatever confirms dept time) and your logs show off duty during any of that time... enjoy your nice juicy fine.

This is not trolling, or hating, this is stating fact from the safety regulations book.

I know the book language. When you get to a shipper/rec'r checkin and park it and they say "go wait in your truck we'll let you know when we are done". That is pretty much your relieved and can crash in the sleeper. Believe me they will wake you up when they are ready. That time is legit as sleeper berth. Just remember to go back on duty to check out. I am very lucky at the moment. 95% of my current runs the customer takes care of everything on both ends. Some don't even let me out of the truck. However on the rare occassion I have to unload then yes it's on duty the whole time. I also annotate on my logs when its a complete customer load/unload. DOT has never given me any grief over it.

Phox, We are gonna make a bona fide trucker out of you one of these days. You just keep plugging away at this stuff. It's amazing how much you are learning from the books and studying you're doing, but you are going to find when you hit the road that there is a whole new education that you are going to go through so that you can survive and make some money at this. Properly managing that clock while at shippers and receivers is imperative to your success, and if you do it the way you just suggested it is going to kill your paychecks.

Phox, We are gonna make a bona fide trucker out of you one of these days. You just keep plugging away at this stuff. It's amazing how much you are learning from the books and studying you're doing, but you are going to find when you hit the road that there is a whole new education that you are going to go through so that you can survive and make some money at this. Properly managing that clock while at shippers and receivers is imperative to your success, and if you do it the way you just suggested it is going to kill your paychecks.

with my luck if I didn't do it by the book I'd be that one person who gets inspected and gets logbook violations and stuff... If I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck at all hahaha.

I know what people do out there in the real wold is different but I think it's important to know what the rules are and if you choose to follow them or not that's your own choice.

also that book says only your carrier can release you from duty... not shipper or receiver. Like I said what you choose to do is your choice but I do think it's important to know what you're supposed to do.

Phox, my carrier told me at orientation that when a shipper tells you to sit in your truck and wait, then we consider you as in the sleeper berth resting, therefore that is what we want to see on your logs. I don't know about you but that sounds to me like my carrier released me from being "on duty."

Phox, as O.S. says, following the rules to the letter will eat up your time, which means eat up your paycheck. At home, when you saw a speed limit of 25, did you really putt along at 25?

As i was starting out with Swift, I did as you said, On Duty for things like waiting at a consignee. I could not get anything done in my 14 hour day! Later I chatted with a seasoned Swift Trucker at a truck stop. He pointed out if you're not physically doing something with the truck during your day, stay Off Duty or Sleeper. No one will audit your logs to the point of having to ask you "Why were you sleeping while your truck was being loaded?"

Phox, as O.S. says, following the rules to the letter will eat up your time, which means eat up your paycheck. At home, when you saw a speed limit of 25, did you really putt along at 25?

As i was starting out with Swift, I did as you said, On Duty for things like waiting at a consignee. I could not get anything done in my 14 hour day! Later I chatted with a seasoned Swift Trucker at a truck stop. He pointed out if you're not physically doing something with the truck during your day, stay Off Duty or Sleeper. No one will audit your logs to the point of having to ask you "Why were you sleeping while your truck was being loaded?"

and sometimes it feels like you only get to sleep when you are being loaded or unloaded :) hahahha which sucks

Phox, it's good to know the laws but then reality sets in. Listen to guys like Old School and the other veterans on here. It's good that you want to be by the book but if you did everything "by the book" you'll spend about 3 hours a day driving because you burned your clock up following rules written by people who don't even have a CDL. Believe me, you're not the only one who knows the rules but your fear of an inspection will drive you to madness. The majority here have been through one or two and most law enforcement won't even bother with e logs. They'll take a quick glance to see that you're signed in and look for anything highlighted in red. More important is to have your idiot book up to date with all your current registration etc and have the truck in proper working order.

Phox, it's good to know the laws but then reality sets in. Listen to guys like Old School and the other veterans on here. It's good that you want to be by the book but if you did everything "by the book" you'll spend about 3 hours a day driving because you burned your clock up following rules written by people who don't even have a CDL. Believe me, you're not the only one who knows the rules but your fear of an inspection will drive you to madness. The majority here have been through one or two and most law enforcement won't even bother with e logs. They'll take a quick glance to see that you're signed in and look for anything highlighted in red. More important is to have your idiot book up to date with all your current registration etc and have the truck in proper working order.

To add to the Dragon's point I have endured three inspections and they only performed a cursory check on my e-logs; made sure I was logged in on duty, checked the load tab and made sure I had driving hours. Never once did DOT download my logs.

Time management is common sense and requires a balancing act. Something learned from experience.