Rewriting History

To know the exact answer to your dilemma, we need to know the exact day you were hired. Today is 6/14 and the other date mentioned is 5/26. The way you wrote it it isn't clear to me if you're saying you were hired on 5/26 or if 5/26 is the date THEY say you need to start a log.

The actual hire date is May 24th, I have been home since the 25th after passing my exams.

To know the exact answer to your dilemma, we need to know the exact day you were hired. Today is 6/14 and the other date mentioned is 5/26. The way you wrote it it isn't clear to me if you're saying you were hired on 5/26 or if 5/26 is the date THEY say you need to start a log.

The actual hire date is May 24th, I have been home since the 25th after passing my exams.

In that case, they should require logs/work history for eight days prior to the 24th, which includes all work from May 16th to the present. That should have been covered in your class/training. Did they talk in logbook section of your training about how to account for hours while not in a truck? Sorry for your predicament, but it should have been covered.

To know the exact answer to your dilemma, we need to know the exact day you were hired. Today is 6/14 and the other date mentioned is 5/26. The way you wrote it it isn't clear to me if you're saying you were hired on 5/26 or if 5/26 is the date THEY say you need to start a log.

The actual hire date is May 24th, I have been home since the 25th after passing my exams.

In that case, they should require logs/work history for eight days prior to the 24th, which includes all work from May 16th to the present. That should have been covered in your class/training. Did they talk in logbook section of your training about how to account for hours while not in a truck? Sorry for your predicament, but it should have been covered.

Which is the exact purpose of the time worked statement; covers newly hired drivers with nothing to log (as previously written). His (Big-T) issue is not accounting for time, but waiting for a copy of a birth certificate as identification.

When hijacking a thread, please read it entirely so there is correct context.

Good grief, what are you talking about? No hijacking here. His question was about how to log his time, and being mildly upset that how to do it wasn't properly communicated. The fact that he's waiting to get behind the wheel, and why he's waiting (the birth certificate) is not really relevant. What was relevant was when was the actual date of hire (which could be anything from application date acceptance, or signing school loan papers, or beginning of school date, or school graduation day, or first day on truck with trainer, who knows??). Only by knowing his company determined hiredate can the first question (what dates to be used for the time worked statement) be answered. I asked, he replied. Future readers of this thread will be better armed to handle unsual circumstances like Big-T's, should they occur.

Good grief, what are you talking about? No hijacking here. His question was about how to log his time, and being mildly upset that how to do it wasn't properly communicated. The fact that he's waiting to get behind the wheel, and why he's waiting (the birth certificate) is not really relevant. What was relevant was when was the actual date of hire (which could be anything from application date acceptance, or signing school loan papers, or beginning of school date, or school graduation day, or first day on truck with trainer, who knows??). Only by knowing his company determined hiredate can the first question (what dates to be used for the time worked statement) be answered. I asked, he replied. Future readers of this thread will be better armed to handle unsual circumstances like Big-T's, should they occur.

Your initial reply to Big T never mentioned the time worked statement. It has everything to do with the first day he goes on duty to drive and has nothing to do with his start date. Again not sure why they have him logging everything, might be to CYA for Swift as well.

Waiting for the birth certificate is highly relevant to his thread, it's the root cause of the entire problem.

This is an unusual set of circumstances (agree with that) but not something any company covers in class or orientation. I apologize for the hi-jacking comment, I understand you were only trying to help Big-T.

Big T wrote:

The certificate came in today so I should be on the road next week. I'd leave right now, but leaving a three year old at home without adult supervision tends to be frowned upon.

Awesome news...the debate we are having is rather moot now, what matters is you can continue forward progress.

Good luck!

Well I did say "in that case, they should require logs/work history for...". I assumed one would understand the phrase "work history" to be equivalent to "time worked statement". My bad.

Back in the dark ages when I went to trucking school, we actually kept a log book for the three weeks of school. Since I was under contract to the school and the carrier, I assume those were legally binding records, and not just "for practice". I don't know if that experience happens today, or more particularly for Big-T. I considered myself an employee of the carrier at that time, while in school, and not having been on the road for pay yet (though we did actually drive on the road around the community in the second week, logging those hours).

I was thinking of a case where for example what if you were hired immediately by a company to drive, and they were prepared to dispatch that second. They would have to know that you hadn't worked in the last day, and not need a reset, or a boatload of hours at your window washing job in the last week, before sending you out so you could legally complete the run.

This is similar to Big-T's situation where he worked for a week or two at a pizza job BETWEEN hire date(?) and "hit the road with mentor" date. The gap between those two events happened and could have been for illness, vacation, accident, paperwork snafu or any number of reasons. That is why I was wondering when his actual career begin date is, so you can determine what to account for for a week prior.

Well I did say "in that case, they should require logs/work history for...". I assumed one would understand the phrase "work history" to be equivalent to "time worked statement". My bad.

Back in the dark ages when I went to trucking school, we actually kept a log book for the three weeks of school. Since I was under contract to the school and the carrier, I assume those were legally binding records, and not just "for practice". I don't know if that experience happens today, or more particularly for Big-T. I considered myself an employee of the carrier at that time, while in school, and not having been on the road for pay yet (though we did actually drive on the road around the community in the second week, logging those hours).

I was thinking of a case where for example what if you were hired immediately by a company to drive, and they were prepared to dispatch that second. They would have to know that you hadn't worked in the last day, and not need a reset, or a boatload of hours at your window washing job in the last week, before sending you out so you could legally complete the run.

This is similar to Big-T's situation where he worked for a week or two at a pizza job BETWEEN hire date(?) and "hit the road with mentor" date. The gap between those two events happened and could have been for illness, vacation, accident, paperwork snafu or any number of reasons. That is why I was wondering when his actual career begin date is, so you can determine what to account for for a week prior.

You know the great thing about TT is the amount of drivers willing to help each other out. Thank you.

In school we had to keep logs, but it was only practice. According to Swift they were not necessary because we were not technically working. I asked at orientation if we were supposed to put anything different down on the log and was looked at like I was crazy. In orientation, once they did the log class, were expected to keep the log current. The first log was a "practice log" since we had not been coded (hired) yet, but the second log was a legal log because by that point we had been officially hired.

During our Mentor phase we are expected to keep both an electronic log and a paper log during the entire time we are on the mentor's truck. The paper log during that time is considered a practice log as well and instead of signing it we are supposed to write "Student log DO NOT SIGN" in the signature area. That way we do not get in trouble for having two logs and can still learn how to do a paper log in the case of our Qualcom going down.

I had asked them after I was not able to finish getting my license because I had to wait for the birth certificate to get in if I needed to log hours worked at the pizza shop. I was told no. When I returned my driver development leader's call regarding why I had not shown up for the mentor phase yet I asked the same question. Again I was told no. Then when I did my check-in call to let them know I still had not received the certificate I asked if they were going to need any documentation from Domino's since I was working there while waiting. At this point I was told no that I just needed to put the hours on my log. The log I was told by two different people I did not need to keep.

I have kept record of the hours worked for Domino's and I will have a print out of my hours for eight days before I get on the mentor's truck. I am also making sure that I will have at least 34 hours off between my shift at Domino's and setting foot on the Mentor's truck. I will also have log pages for everyday since my hire date. The worst they can say is they don't need them and they will be in my briefcase in the event DOT has other opinions lol. CYA is the name of the game.

Hopefully I have cleared up some of the possible confusion around the topic. Thank you again G-Town and Vendingdude for your words of wisdom, advice, and willingness to help.

Look up the Interstate Truck Driver's Guide to Hours of Service. It's an FMCSA pdf that explains all this in black and white.

One thing it makes very clear is that any work done for another employer is considered as duty hours for the purposes of the 60/7 or 70/8 rule and needs to be in your rolling 7/8 day log. It's in there. It also affects your 14 hour window in terms of when you must get your next ten hour rest period. 8 hours at pizza, 6 hours driving, you must stop and reset. (for example) This is why it needs to be logged.

Look up the Interstate Truck Driver's Guide to Hours of Service. It's an FMCSA pdf that explains all this in black and white.

One thing it makes very clear is that any work done for another employer is considered as duty hours for the purposes of the 60/7 or 70/8 rule and needs to be in your rolling 7/8 day log. It's in there. It also affects your 14 hour window in terms of when you must get your next ten hour rest period. 8 hours at pizza, 6 hours driving, you must stop and reset. (for example) This is why it needs to be logged.

^^^ and this is what I was referring to when I proffered "didn't they cover that during class?"

Thanks for the kind words Big-T. Sounds like you're a very thorough guy, which will serve you well in this business. There are SO many things that can go wrong, the guy/gal that succeeds will be the one that plans ahead, sees the big picture, double checks everything and doesn't let anger, hurriedness, boredom, etc. get the best of him.

BTW, I went to a community college school prior to driving for ...... Swift.

For many years in my twenties I worked for ........ Domino's. Lol.

Welcome to trucking, brother. Avoid the Noid. (whoops, showing my age again using that slogan)