Logbook Question

I just started a local job driving a garbage truck. Yes it's a dirty job but someone has to do it! Haha it's not my first choice but I'm home everyday and the pay is great. :)

What I'm trying to figure out is the logbook deal. We are required to do a logbook because of the hours we are working. My company doesn't seem to know much about them and everyone just does what they tell them to do.

They have a system for us after our shift to come in and fill out log on a printed sheet of paper. We don't get a copy of it. Wouldn't that be illegal because I need to show my logs on demand at a weigh station?

I drove through one weigh station yesterday on 94 west coming from Hudson WI to St Paul MN. Luckily they just waved me through but I was wondering how to handle it if they would have asked for my log.

The driving we do is a lot of stops as you can imagine. I worked for 13.75 hours yesterday total on duty time. They basically told me where to put my drive time and on duty time. I ended up with 7 hours driving and 6.75 on duty. We logged it as multi stop driving and put how many stops I had with an average of 10 seconds on duty time for each stop to collect the garbage.

I drive Monday through Friday. So basically I'm just wondering if anyone could give me any help on how I should be filling out this log and if I need to have proof with me at all times. Do I need to go with the 7 day work week so I'm limited to 60 hours. I will be resetting every weekend. I'm just really confused because if I'm on duty for close to 14 hours everyday that's too much for a 7 day week. I'm a new driver so I'm just trying to stay legal and avoid any trouble.

Thanks for any help and if you have any questions please just ask. I know this sounds confusing.

You should definitely speak to your company about why they're doing things the way they do them. It seems to me you shouldn't need a logbook at all, which is why they're not requiring you to carry the past 7 days of logs with you or have one with you on the job. But they might be logging it just in case the DOT comes in for an audit so they'll have something to show. They might be doing it for insurance or legal reason of some sort. It's hard to say.

You guys could probably use the 60 hours over 7 days provision (as opposed to 70 hours over 8 days) if you needed logbooks, but I think that's a company decision.

As far as whether or not you'll need a logbook, hopefully this will help a bit. This is taken from the FMCSA HOS Frequently Asked Questions

C-6. How would you summarize the 100 air-mile radius HOS provision in § 395.1(e)(1)?

The 100 air-mile radius exception in Part § 395.1(e)(1) is an option to use time records in lieu of RODS on days when the driver meets the conditions of the exception, which are:

- The driver operates within a 100 air-mile ( 115 statute miles) radius of the normal work reporting location, and

- The driver returns to the work reporting location and be released from duty within 12 consecutive hours, and

- The driver maintains time records as specified in the rule, and

- The driver is not covered by the "non-CDL 150 air-mile radius" provision.

C-7. May a "100 air-mile radius" driver utilize the "16-hour duty period" exception in Part § 395.1(o)?

Yes. A driver normally operating under the 100 air-mile radius exception in § 395.1(e) may also meet the requirements in § 395.1(o) enabling the driver to have one period of 16 hours on-duty each week (or after a 34-hour restart). However, on the day in which the 16-hour exception is utilized, the driver would not meet the 12-hour duty-period requirement of the 100 air-mile radius exception and would therefore be required to make a RODS for that day.

Maybe that helps, maybe it's even more confusing now. That's the government for ya

Thanks Brett,

The reason we would have to do logs I believe is because of the hours worked. We don't have a scheduled end time but almost everyone is as close to the 14 hours as possible by the end of the day. They just send us out to different areas until we can't drive anymore for the day or until the work is all done whichever comes first.

It just seems kind of shady that the company doesn't have answers to employees questions about the logs. They didn't seem to know anything about the 30 minute break rule after 8 hours on duty. As far as I know everyone just works straight through the day and takes a few short breaks to use the restroom or get more water.

Maybe I'm just really confused since it was my first day. For now though I'm going to keep my own logbook just to insure that I'm legal.

One last question. Even if I only work 5 days a week can I still use the 8 day 70 hour week and reset every weekend or does it have to be the shorter 7 day 60 hour week? That 10 extra hours is important.

Thanks again.

Ok, I've done some more research on the FMCSA Hour Of Service FAQ page and I think I understand the situation you're in.

Here's the key statement:

The 100 air-mile radius exception in Part § 395.1(e)(1) is an option to use time records in lieu of RODS (logbook) on days when the driver meets the conditions of the exception, which are:

The driver operates within a 100 air-mile ( 115 statute miles) radius of the normal work reporting location, and

The driver returns to the work reporting location and be released from duty within 12 consecutive hours, and

The driver maintains time records as specified in the rule, and

The driver is not covered by the "non-CDL 150 air-mile radius" provision.

That is the exception your company is using. Because you meet those requirements, your company can use time records instead of logbooks. But from further reading on that page I believe the driver is required to carry a recap of the past 7 days hours with them. So I would not fill out a logbook , but I would carry some sort of record of your hours over the past 7 days. But of course make sure you're legal or you're incriminating yourself.

Even if I only work 5 days a week can I still use the 8 day 70 hour week and reset every weekend or does it have to be the shorter 7 day 60 hour week? That 10 extra hours is important.

Yes, it seems you can. Coming from that same page I linked to above:

F-1. Does any period of 34 consecutive hours off-duty automatically restart the calculation of the 60/70-hour on-duty period?

Yes. Any period of 34 consecutive hours off-duty will restart the 60/70 hour calculation.