Seeks HOS Violation Info

Yeah, I think everyone has made it abundantly clear that you don't rat out other drivers for things like that. If someone was watching every last move you made I'm sure there would be plenty of reporting to be done on you, too.

Not to mention, how do you know he didn't do that because of some sort of emergency? He could have gotten lightheaded, or started having chest pains, or smoke started coming into the cab and he didn't know what was wrong and just founded the fastest place to get parked.

One time I was driving down the road and suddenly smelled something burning. I looked back and saw a little smoke in the bunk and quickly got off the road. Inexplicably, the power inverter I had been using for quite some time got a short in the wires and it started burning through the rubber insulator.

I will remind everyone of this, and I haven't said it in quite some time. No one will rat you out faster than drivers at your own company. So for all drivers out there, don't make the mistake of thinking there's some sort of special camaraderie between drivers within the same company. If someone thinks you're getting away with something that they're not, they'll report you in a heartbeat.

Unholychaos, it's great having you around and you've had a great attitude. Everyone gave you hell for that so you clearly understand that wasn't the way to go. No big deal. Just keep in mind that we all face a long list of challenges in our lives, and truck drivers have far more difficulties to deal with than most people. You'll find yourself in a ton of unexpected and difficult situations in the coming years and you'll be thankful for any help or forgiveness people might offer during those times. Try to give people the benefit of the doubt and try to help people instead of hindering them every chance you get.

Oh and the rest area along the way? Yeah, completely full. Even saw another Schneider parked in the car parking. Thought about getting the truck # and calling it in, cause Schneider will fire us for doing something illegal like that (plus it makes us look bad).

Snitches get stitches.

Despite Bretts TRUE STATEMENT that a fellow driver from your company will rat you out quicker than a total stranger (from another company) - save your brownie points for one who is operating unsafely and presents a danger to the motoring public.

So where DID you end up parking, if the lot was completely full? Nowhere legal I'm sure (despite the fact that truckers will park on the on/off ramps ANYWAYS).

Most companies will "fix" your logs if you go over by a few minutes occasionally. Make a habit of it - and expect a "pep talk".

Rick

My company allows for the occasional F-up logs violation for under 10 minutes occasionally, but like others have said, most companies logs department looks for the habitual offenders.... I went over by 15-20 minutes once, because I wasn't paying attention to my drive time, and as I passed the last rest area before the exit I needed for the next parking area (a local small truck stop), my qualcomm announced I was in violation.... When I parked at the truck stop, I called my logs department night people, told them what happened and it was totally my fault for not paying attention, and they told me that they would not it, and as long as it didn't happen again in the next 30 days, I would be fine.... They also told me to be careful, and don't do anything to get inspected for the next 8 days.... LOL....

Oh and the rest area along the way? Yeah, completely full. Even saw another Schneider parked in the car parking. Thought about getting the truck # and calling it in, cause Schneider will fire us for doing something illegal like that (plus it makes us look bad).

Snitches get stitches.

Despite Bretts TRUE STATEMENT that a fellow driver from your company will rat you out quicker than a total stranger (from another company) - save your brownie points for one who is operating unsafely and presents a danger to the motoring public.

So where DID you end up parking, if the lot was completely full? Nowhere legal I'm sure (despite the fact that truckers will park on the on/off ramps ANYWAYS).

Most companies will "fix" your logs if you go over by a few minutes occasionally. Make a habit of it - and expect a "pep talk".

Rick

I parked at our terminal in Shrewsbury MA. Like I said, I had literally no other LEGAL option between shipper and Shrewsbury besides that rest area. I don't park illegally since I could get fired if Schneider happens to do a random GPS search on my trailer and sees it on the side of a ramp, or if another Schneider snitched, like y'all said.

And Brett, you're absolutely correct when you said, "If someone thinks you're getting away with something that they're not, they'll report you in a heartbeat." That's my mindset when I see a Schneider doing something they aren't supposed to be doing because I know that they should know better. I did notice that he had his curtains closed, so I don't think it was an emergency situation.

Oh and the rest area along the way? Yeah, completely full. Even saw another Schneider parked in the car parking. Thought about getting the truck # and calling it in, cause Schneider will fire us for doing something illegal like that (plus it makes us look bad).

Snitches get stitches.

Despite Bretts TRUE STATEMENT that a fellow driver from your company will rat you out quicker than a total stranger (from another company) - save your brownie points for one who is operating unsafely and presents a danger to the motoring public.

So where DID you end up parking, if the lot was completely full? Nowhere legal I'm sure (despite the fact that truckers will park on the on/off ramps ANYWAYS).

Most companies will "fix" your logs if you go over by a few minutes occasionally. Make a habit of it - and expect a "pep talk".

Rick

I parked at our terminal in Shrewsbury MA. Like I said, I had literally no other LEGAL option between shipper and Shrewsbury besides that rest area. I don't park illegally since I could get fired if Schneider happens to do a random GPS search on my trailer and sees it on the side of a ramp, or if another Schneider snitched, like y'all said.

And Brett, you're absolutely correct when you said, "If someone thinks you're getting away with something that they're not, they'll report you in a heartbeat." That's my mindset when I see a Schneider doing something they aren't supposed to be doing because I know that they should know better. I did notice that he had his curtains closed, so I don't think it was an emergency situation.

So there was absolutely nothing you could have done differently or better to prevent that violation from happening? You trip planned perfectly and you had no choice but to break the law and drive over your hours?

This sounds like a great "I messed up, but what could have I done differently to prevent this from happening? And from now on, what will I do differently to ensure this bad mishap doesn't happen again?" situation.

Instead, you're taking all the blame off of yourself, being irresponsible, and saying there's nothing you could have done but break the law? I strongly urge you to take HoS violations more seriously and practice self-criticism.

Oh and the rest area along the way? Yeah, completely full. Even saw another Schneider parked in the car parking. Thought about getting the truck # and calling it in, cause Schneider will fire us for doing something illegal like that (plus it makes us look bad).

Snitches get stitches.

Despite Bretts TRUE STATEMENT that a fellow driver from your company will rat you out quicker than a total stranger (from another company) - save your brownie points for one who is operating unsafely and presents a danger to the motoring public.

So where DID you end up parking, if the lot was completely full? Nowhere legal I'm sure (despite the fact that truckers will park on the on/off ramps ANYWAYS).

Most companies will "fix" your logs if you go over by a few minutes occasionally. Make a habit of it - and expect a "pep talk".

Rick

I parked at our terminal in Shrewsbury MA. Like I said, I had literally no other LEGAL option between shipper and Shrewsbury besides that rest area. I don't park illegally since I could get fired if Schneider happens to do a random GPS search on my trailer and sees it on the side of a ramp, or if another Schneider snitched, like y'all said.

And Brett, you're absolutely correct when you said, "If someone thinks you're getting away with something that they're not, they'll report you in a heartbeat." That's my mindset when I see a Schneider doing something they aren't supposed to be doing because I know that they should know better. I did notice that he had his curtains closed, so I don't think it was an emergency situation.

So there was absolutely nothing you could have done differently or better to prevent that violation from happening? You trip planned perfectly and you had no choice but to break the law and drive over your hours?

This sounds like a great "I messed up, but what could have I done differently to prevent this from happening? And from now on, what will I do differently to ensure this bad mishap doesn't happen again?" situation.

Instead, you're taking all the blame off of yourself, being irresponsible, and saying there's nothing you could have done but break the law? I strongly urge you to take HoS violations more seriously and practice self-criticism.

Well, that load had to be picked up that day. I arrived about 45m early to my appointment, got a door immediately, but they took longer than estimated to get me loaded, which is understandable considering I was early. However, as I was in the process of getting loaded, I kept seeing my clock ticking away, eventually to the point where I couldn't make it to a legal park location within my hours if said rest area wasn't available. I'm not placing blame on anyone, it's just circumstantial.

I rarely ever have to do this, but when I do, I always notify someone ahead of time and haven't gotten any flak from it YET. I do realize that I'm taking a lot of risks doing it, but it's better than parking illegally on the side of the road or ramp where I could potentially be put in a dangerous situation.

Unholychaos wrote:

Well, that load had to be picked up that day. I arrived about 45m early to my appointment, got a door immediately, but they took longer than estimated to get me loaded, which is understandable considering I was early. However, as I was in the process of getting loaded, I kept seeing my clock ticking away, eventually to the point where I couldn't make it to a legal park location within my hours if said rest area wasn't available. I'm not placing blame on anyone, it's just circumstantial.

I rarely ever have to do this, but when I do, I always notify someone ahead of time and haven't gotten any flak from it YET. I do realize that I'm taking a lot of risks doing it, but it's better than parking illegally on the side of the road or ramp where I could potentially be put in a dangerous situation.

Daniel asked if there was anything you could have done better to prevent this...is this your final answer UHC? Hint...there are several things that jump out and scream "trip-planning".

Unholychaos wrote:

Well, that load had to be picked up that day. I arrived about 45m early to my appointment, got a door immediately, but they took longer than estimated to get me loaded, which is understandable considering I was early. However, as I was in the process of getting loaded, I kept seeing my clock ticking away, eventually to the point where I couldn't make it to a legal park location within my hours if said rest area wasn't available. I'm not placing blame on anyone, it's just circumstantial.

I rarely ever have to do this, but when I do, I always notify someone ahead of time and haven't gotten any flak from it YET. I do realize that I'm taking a lot of risks doing it, but it's better than parking illegally on the side of the road or ramp where I could potentially be put in a dangerous situation.

Daniel asked if there was anything you could have done better to prevent this...is this your final answer UHC? Hint...there are several things that jump out and scream "trip-planning".

I surrender to your knowledge and experience. What could I have done differently? I'm not being sarcastic by the way. I'm genuinely asking so I can avoid this happening again.

Unholy chaos wrote:

I surrender to your knowledge and experience. What could I have done differently? I'm not being sarcastic by the way. I'm genuinely asking so I can avoid this happening again.

Not asking for a surrender here...asking you to really think about this and analyze it, so you can avoid it. Everything you did the day or two before lead you to this point. I have been in your shoes more than once...

Without knowing all the facts; you did not allow for near enough time on the backend. Okay,...Duh. Right? Several things jump off the page to consider...

- Arriving 45 minutes early didn't help you (at least in this case). Live-Loading is typically staged, arrive too early and the staging still needs to occur regardless. Live Unloading,...if there is an open-door and you sweet-talked the clerk, they might be able to move faster. Even so, all things being equal, in this case they got you out and on your way in a reasonable amount of time. The issue was likely the time of day (late afternoon?) when available parking in the Northeast tends to dissipate after 3pm. Don't expect much after 3PM in the NE, "slim-pickins". My suggestion, is revisit the trip-plan every day when you shut-down for your 10 hour break. If it's a 2 or 3 day trip, recalculate your ETA, and determine if you need to adjust the approach or your thought process en-route, not at the shipper (too late). In this case, the night before I would have anticipated lack of available parking and scouted areas local to the shipper to legally park. Like Walmart, Home Depot or Lowes. The other thing is, you need to allow for longer wait times for live-loading. As soon as you dock, put yourself in sleeper status, so that you can take advantage of the split-sleeper rule if need be.

- The other thing I noticed is; 45 minutes of time burned on the 14 that is unaccounted for (assuming no more than 30 minutes for pre-trip and 30 minute break). Although that didn't ultimately factor into this situation, it could have. Again, if you know you have limited backend time to find a parking spot after a shipper (live unload), I would not waste any of my 14. Just an observation, and there may be an explanation, however, waste an extra 45 minutes of your 14 each day and in 5 days you are in arrears by 3.75 hours on your 70.

Although due to the nature of my work than an OTR driver, depending on my day, the number of loads, and the total number of stops, I could very well be faced (and have been) with this exact situation. As a result I have a whole series of places I use to legally shut-down that do not require dealing with a crowded truck stop at midnight. And yes naturally many are Walmart parking lots.

Hopefully others can add to this.

Unholy chaos wrote:

I surrender to your knowledge and experience. What could I have done differently? I'm not being sarcastic by the way. I'm genuinely asking so I can avoid this happening again.

Not asking for a surrender here...asking you to really think about this and analyze it, so you can avoid it. Everything you did the day or two before lead you to this point. I have been in your shoes more than once...

Without knowing all the facts; you did not allow for near enough time on the backend. Okay,...Duh. Right? Several things jump off the page to consider...

- Arriving 45 minutes early didn't help you (at least in this case). Live-Loading is typically staged, arrive too early and the staging still needs to occur regardless. Live Unloading,...if there is an open-door and you sweet-talked the clerk, they might be able to move faster. Even so, all things being equal, in this case they got you out and on your way in a reasonable amount of time. The issue was likely the time of day (late afternoon?) when available parking in the Northeast tends to dissipate after 3pm. Don't expect much after 3PM in the NE, "slim-pickins". My suggestion, is revisit the trip-plan every day when you shut-down for your 10 hour break. If it's a 2 or 3 day trip, recalculate your ETA, and determine if you need to adjust the approach or your thought process en-route, not at the shipper (too late). In this case, the night before I would have anticipated lack of available parking and scouted areas local to the shipper to legally park. Like Walmart, Home Depot or Lowes. The other thing is, you need to allow for longer wait times for live-loading. As soon as you dock, put yourself in sleeper status, so that you can take advantage of the split-sleeper rule if need be.

- The other thing I noticed is; 45 minutes of time burned on the 14 that is unaccounted for (assuming no more than 30 minutes for pre-trip and 30 minute break). Although that didn't ultimately factor into this situation, it could have. Again, if you know you have limited backend time to find a parking spot after a shipper (live unload), I would not waste any of my 14. Just an observation, and there may be an explanation, however, waste an extra 45 minutes of your 14 each day and in 5 days you are in arrears by 3.75 hours on your 70.

Although due to the nature of my work than an OTR driver, depending on my day, the number of loads, and the total number of stops, I could very well be faced (and have been) with this exact situation. As a result I have a whole series of places I use to legally shut-down that do not require dealing with a crowded truck stop at midnight. And yes naturally many are Walmart parking lots.

Hopefully others can add to this.

I probably missed the point you were making so let me paint the entire picture of that day from start to finish. I started my day at the service plaza in Allentown PA. I was facing the wrong way from a mistake I made the night prior by setting the GPS route to SB instead of NB which added a good 20m to my route. Right there is probably where things started to go down hill. I started my day as soon as I could at 0539, fueled/pretrip, drove as hard and safely as I could up to my delivery in Gorham ME, getting delayed in CT due to an accident around the Norwalk exits. This forced me to take a 30m break and be 32m late to my delivery. There were no clear signs on the building as to where the shipping/receiving office was, so I park at the first door I saw, ended up having to walk to the complete other side to check in, and all the way back. Probably another 10-15m delay there (all my fault). Docked quickly, got unloaded, deadheaded about 80m to next pickup, arrived early, you know the rest.

After retracing my steps while typing this, it's clear that I could have saved a lot of time by, for one, taking a few extra seconds and confirming that I put in the correct destination the night before, and going in the correct door at the delivery minimizing the check in time.

So there ya have it. Reason why I had to go over my hours was because of a negligent misclick I did the night before. Domino effect at it's finest I'd say...