Question About My Logbook

Although we have in-cab recording and video-taping, we still have to fill out our own log books and keep them up-to-date, daily. The logbooks are pre-printed with the company name and address on each page. The pre-printed graph starts at noon and runs to noon but since we've been working days, we've been switching those to mid-noon-mid so that each shift begins and ends on the same page. Tomorrow, I start going on night runs with line-haul. Do I use my graph showing noon-mid-noon, and go through midnight and end at noon so I'm consistent with the policy of beginning and ending my shift on the same page or do I leave it with mid-noon-mid do be consistent with the actual calendar days?

-mountain girl

That's strange, every logbook I've ever seen runs from mid-mid, no matter what company has their name pre-printed on the logbook. I'm also not sure what you're talking about in regard to a policy of starting and ending your shift on the same page. You will have shifts when you're running into the next 24 hour period and it should show accordingly. Your duty status changes should reflect in real time when you're off duty, on duty, on duty not driving etc. For example, you could still be on duty leading into midnight, and you would continue that duty status on to the next page (since every logbook I've seen goes mid-mid) or 24 hour period until your status changes. If I'm not mistaken, every logbook runs mid-mid, no matter what company or if you're o/o. It's federally regulated. Let's wait and see what an experienced driver has to say ...

But more importantly, welcome to the night life MG. I've already started vamping out since staying up all night Saturday night. We are children of the night - somebody pass a blood shake, mua ha ha ...

Nope. Ours are pre-printed noon-noon but we've been crossing those off, writing in mid-to-mid. Weird. I can ask at work tomorrow.

And yep, I'm staying up as late as I can stand it, so I can get more nocturnal in anticipation of the next week. I know it's going to be rough but I'm pretty sure I can do it.

-mountain girl

Sorry guys off subject, but you two are up all night :) What are your hrs going to br like? I have been following both of you thru your adventures, and I must say because of ya'll I am trying to get into line haul. I dont mind working nights, but know it can be strange to begin with. Just curious when you start and when you get off. Thanks and good luck!

Most of the night-time line-haulers show up at about 7:30 pm and return by 7:30 am. I've passed my classmate on his way in and my way out and vice-versa, several times in the past week and that's how it seemed to work.

Yesterday, I was told by my trainer that I was going to get a call sometime tomorrow afternoon, letting me know when I am to show up. This means that once I get the call, I will have 2 hours to be in.

I'm slightly annoyed by this because I know this is a test to see if I can hack it while I know, my (male) classmate already knew his times before the Monday he was to start. I've been tempted all day, to just call in to dispatch and see if they have a general idea of when I'm to come in because I know they've already planned this. They have to have planned it because they had to set it up for me to ride with a trainer. If they call me at 4:00pm for a 6:00 pm start, I will have to fight rush-hour traffic to get there. I'm tempted to leave home around 3:00pm (it's an hour commute when I drive there at 3:00am) whether they've called me by then or not, wait somewhere nearby and just show up early, just so I don't have to deal with the "hey, let's see if she can hack it" game.

So, to answer your question: for me, when I come in is going to vary from week-to-week. Some companies call it a swing driver. The more drivers they hire on after me, the sooner I'll move up on the seniority chain. And I think it will lighten up just a bit, after the 1st of the new year, when everyone gets to bid for their most preferred times.

-mountain girl

Thanks MG. Keep your head up! Dont get down because some folks are jerks. Do you gig when they call. Get there when they tell you and do the best you can. Sooner or later they will realize what a great person they have and start treating like the special person you are. I have seen it in the military, girls cant do anything, like drive forklifts. Truth be told one of my best drivers is a girl. I just sent her to WI to work for a week on a FL and they all looked at her like "Oh man this is gonna take forever" Right up until she hopped on the FL and showed them what it can really do. Then it was "Man we need to get her number for the next time!" You will do just fine. I am sorry people are jerks but you will just have to smile, no matter what you are thinking, and show them you are one of the best. They will get it because you will show them everyday. Good luck to you and I hope your son gets better soonest.

Thanks MG. Keep your head up! Dont get down because some folks are jerks. Do you gig when they call. Get there when they tell you and do the best you can. Sooner or later they will realize what a great person they have and start treating like the special person you are. I have seen it in the military, girls cant do anything, like drive forklifts. Truth be told one of my best drivers is a girl. I just sent her to WI to work for a week on a FL and they all looked at her like "Oh man this is gonna take forever" Right up until she hopped on the FL and showed them what it can really do. Then it was "Man we need to get her number for the next time!" You will do just fine. I am sorry people are jerks but you will just have to smile, no matter what you are thinking, and show them you are one of the best. They will get it because you will show them everyday. Good luck to you and I hope your son gets better soonest.

-Chris L.

Thanks, Man. I was in the military also - where I thrived. You've reminded me that given a choice, I still prefer this atmosphere, working in a male-dominated profession. I'm just that way. I prefer this environment, even though it's not perfect.

Thanks for the encouragement.

-mountain girl

Chris, our terminal has varying times when L/H drivers start. Like MG said, in the beginning the swing drivers (we call them wild drivers) are given the least desirable runs. My start time this week will be 2015, and I'll probably get back to the terminal between 8-10. So my goal is to be sleeping by 12:00, up by 1800, leaving myself time to wake up and be at the terminal at 2015.

The toughest thing in the beginning will be the lack of a consistent schedule, although my terminal manager told me they try to get the new L/H drivers in at around the same time so that we can get our rest when we're off.

THis night being up has been better than last night. I started staying up last night to get ready for this week (and the rest of my beginning time as a L/H driver). I tried to go to bed at 8:30 this past morning, and only was able to sleep till noon. I took a nap from 10pm till about 2:30am this morning and have been up since. I'll try to stay up till about noon today so that I can hopefully stay sleeping till around 6:00pm this coming evening to get ready for my first night shift of this week. Hopefully from here on out I can get on w/ sleeping at noon, getting up at 6:00pm.

As MG stated, we have to get enough driver behind us to bump us up the seniority list. At my terminal there's about 120 L/H drivers, currently there will be about 200 after this next hiring phase is done. My L/H manager told me that I could get on a set schedule / run by the next bid or w/in 6 months. To get my day time L/H run, could take a few years. It all depends. But I'm expecting to be on this night shift mode for 3 years, give or take. Maybe I'll get a break.

MG, things will eventually lighten up for us. We've got to keep our eyes fixed on the light at the other end of the tunnel - literally

Thank you both for your service!

You folks are nuts! Nocturnal? Pass!