What Am I Doing Wrong?

T-Rex, you're getting a lot of good advice here, but some of it is conflicting. I'm repeating my advice to get your company's safety department requirements for logging and follow that. I recently went through a Level I (max) DOT inspection and they reviewed my logs in detail. They had no problem with them. I log 4-6 minutes pre trip, 5-10 minutes fuel stop, 4-6 minutes check in, 4-6 minutes load or unload, 8-12 minutes drop/hook, 8-12 minutes post trip, 2-5 minutes scale. I put myself in sleeper status every chance I get...that way if it turns out that I'm stuck a place a long time, I can consider using the 8/2. Any enforcement time, log it all. That's it.

I log as I go most of the time, but not always. If appointment times are such that it is best to unload during a break, then I log the check in and load or unload right away when I arrive, or later when I'm about to leave. Now, in doing that, there is some slight risk. You'll almost certainly pass a routine DOT inspection, but if there is an accident with a fatality or something like that, then there may be a big audit going back as much as several months and they may match BOLs, etc. up with the logs. In that case, there might be a problem. But I think most productive drivers log this way. For example, maybe you have a delivery at 06:00, but can arrive at a spot near the customer at 23:00. Well, I'd either log check in and load/unload upon arrival or upon departure, depending upon how many duty hours I'd used on that arrival date. Then, I'd make the delivery during my break, and remain off duty status until I needed to leave the area to get to the next appointment. I think that is what most of us do. If you prefer, you can instead go to a truck stop by 18-19:00 and enjoy your night, then roll into the appointment before 06:00. But you will have shortchanged your available drive time considerably, and if you insist on doing things that way, some appointments are going to result in MAJOR loss of drive hours. I need to roll 500-600 miles every day, regardless of appointments, to earn the income that I need. That cannot be done with perfect logging, which is why there is all the uproar over the elog mandate right now. Most drivers have been running as needed to get business done and filling in log sheets to match, ever since log sheets became a requirement. The guys that haven't been on elogs think they won't be able to make money when they get one. But it can still be done, it is just harder and less convenient. I would much rather have parked at a truck stop last night instead of the dusty ditch across the street from a Walmart DC. Due to the elog, I opted for the ditch...I need to make a living. But, to each their own...

This amount of logging I described is common practice among many and will maximize your available hours to drive, and thus maximize your income.

Also, T-Rex - I noticed the avatar that you had....so I must say, GO RED WINGS! I lived in Michigan most of my life and am a big Wings fan and a big Tigers fan. (I'd send this message to you privately, but I don't see a way to do that). I'd love to exchange emails and so forth with you...if you wish to do so, please send me an email. My address is drreid1958 at gmai*.*** However, if you have anything further you'd like to discuss concerning trucking, it would be best to do that here in the forum so anyone that wants to read it can do so.

So I'm on a 34 hour restart. Sitting here at the Swift terminal in El Paso Texas waiting on laundry to finish and I figured I'd post this. This is my 3rd consecutive weekend (I've been out here 3 weeks now) taking a 34 hour restart. Am I doing something wrong? Is there something I can do to stretch my hours out so I can get into recap? Could it actually be a good thing that I'm running hard enough to burn my 70 in 5-6 days this early in my career. Just not sure how to feel about it. I can't deliver my current load until tomorrow afternoon anyways so I would have been sitting anyways so it isn't really hurting my bottom line but I'm just curious what you all think.

Try running 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 8, 6. I was given that advice from an experienced driver when I 1st started out and it worked out great for me.