Comments By Rubber Duck

That’s right. I forgot he drove 4 hours to get there. So he’d have 7 hours to drive with 9:20 on his workday. Right?

I don’t know about butch but here’s what I’d probably do. At 0340 I’d go OFF DUTY. My clock would show I burnt up 4 hours and 40 minutes. I’d have 9 hours and 20 minutes to run when I got empty at 0830.

I wouldn’t need a ten I’d just run. With the new rules your clock pauses after being off for 2 hours straight.

For example You have 10 hours left on your 14 and you go off. In 6 hours you still got 10 hours to run.

Throw some sleeper into the mix and your running like an outlaw from back in the paper log days.

Actually - only the 14 clock pauses. He still ran 4:40 on his 11 drive clock - so even if he paused his 14 - he still only has 6:20 left on his DRIVE CLOCK. You have to COMPLETE THE SPLIT TO RESET THE DRIVE CLOCK.

This is the reason a lot of companies don't like using the split sleeper rule - even with ELD's it can get confusing. Which is why most folks only use it (under the new rules) to pause the 14 hour clock - and still take a 10 to reset both.

Rick

I don’t know about butch but here’s what I’d probably do. At 0340 I’d go OFF DUTY. My clock would show I burnt up 4 hours and 40 minutes. I’d have 9 hours and 20 minutes to run when I got empty at 0830.

I wouldn’t need a ten I’d just run. With the new rules your clock pauses after being off for 2 hours straight.

For example You have 10 hours left on your 14 and you go off. In 6 hours you still got 10 hours to run.

Throw some sleeper into the mix and your running like an outlaw from back in the paper log days.

Let’s say a driver named Butch begins with a fresh clock by driving to a Walmart DC. His appointment time is at 0400. Butch starts at 2300 and arrives at the DC an hour early at 0300. Butch will eventually get through the gate and get to a door and get checked in with his paperwork by 0340. Butch will wait to be unloaded until 0830.

Butch went off duty at 0300 as soon as he entered the gate. Then he used personal conveyance to get to the door so that his clock has not been running since he arrived. Since he has been off duty for 5 1/2 hours, Butch decides to use PC to move to a truck stop about 20 miles away. There he waits an additional four hours to end his 10 hour break and get his time back to continue moving to the next stop.

What is your assessment of Butch’s actions? Could he have handled things in a better way? What options would the split sleeper birth provide in his situation?

If you can sleep with it on your bed then it fits. All of your stuff should be on your bed at all times while on the truck with your trainer. That is the only space you should count on. The truck is far to small to have a giant man purse slitting next to your driver or passenger seat. You also shouldn’t expect to have a lunch box on the floor either. Of course you can do what you can get away with but I imagine it would be annoying having to step around someone’s crap all day.

If possible I’d try and draw unemployment benefits.

When you said you wanted to quit was it because you thought you was getting fired? Or did you think because you’ve had,

zero accidents, zero citations, zero violations, zero felonies, zero misdemeanors and Veteran status with honorable discharge you was to good to be having a talking to about such things.

Did you think because you’ve Had zero accidents, zero citations, zero violations, zero felonies, zero misdemeanors and Veteran status with honorable discharge you could just walk off one job and hop into another truck right down the street.

Be honest with yourself and the new drivers who have read this post. I’m not trying to bash you but I just hate to think a new driver would read this and think you get fired for one hard brake with such a perfect record like yours.

I’ve seen this a thousand times and I was that guy when I started. I couldn’t get my head around why no matter how many times I turned around I was still screwed. Trainers can’t teach everything! We got to learn most of this job while we do it.

I’m on my way home last night and I decided to top off so I could hammer down Monday mourning. I pull into the fuel island and I get behind a guy I figure is about to pull out from the pump. He’s not fueling and just finishing up squeegeeing his Windows. About 3 minutes later he got the windshield done and then proceeds to do the mirrors and the side windows with the squeegee. Then he starts walking around the truck with a bottle of glass cleaner and starts cleaning his tail lights while iM sitting right there behind him. At that point he jumps in his truck and I figure he's done. Instead he opens his door and starts glass cleaning the inside windows. At that point I backed up ad moved to the pump next to him that became free.

After about ten more minutes of house cleaning he pulls forward and goes inside. Then I look to my left and a shnider driver is doing the same exact Thing while holding up the pump. I was so mad I about made myself sick. If I would’ve had cash on me Id of bought these people some paper towels so they could do this crap some other place.

Has trucking always been like this at the fuel island? How do you deal with this? If I told this guy about himself I’m sure it would of ended in a fight and maybe going to jail.

What kind of person would come to the back of their truck and start cleaning tail lights while looking at you with white foam coming from their mouth. Did he have rabies?

Most people aren’t naturally good at backing. The only thing you have very good control over when your new is your set up. If your set it up is good and the trailer is pointed at the hole your going to get it in eventually.

Call the police and press charges against him for drugging you. This is pretty sad and screwed up. He's not your friend. He's sick and demented.