On Duty Not Driving Question

I'm currently at home sitting here waiting on Swift to have driver drop off a truck so I can leave. I have been waiting since Wednesday. Since Wednesday Swift has been telling me that they will have my truck dropped that night, 4 nights later I'm still waiting. I had to take flight home from Washington due to family emergency, Swift had a team pick up the truck and drop off my load, and the team was suppose to drop my truck off while they were driving through my home state. My question is, Can I log Wednesday to today as On-Duty Not Driving for my 14 hours per day? I'm sitting here not getting paid, my bags have been packed since Wednesday sitting by front door because everyday I thought I was leaving here and it ended up I didn't. Once again its Sunday and my DM said my truck should be here tonight so I'm sitting here waiting again. But I'm losing money since Wednesday.

So I take it you must get an hourly pay for on duty time? My guess would be no, you can't log your time at home as on duty, regardless of whether you're ready to go or not. Enjoy your home time and just be ready to run your hardest without complaint when you do get back out there. I wouldn't even mention the lost time, don't make an issue out of it and do your best to be a happy and compliant employee. That will go a long way.

So I take it you must get an hourly pay for on duty time? My guess would be no, you can't log your time at home as on duty, regardless of whether you're ready to go or not. Enjoy your home time and just be ready to run your hardest without complaint when you do get back out there. I wouldn't even mention the lost time, don't make an issue out of it and do your best to be a happy and compliant employee. That will go a long way.

No I don't get hourly pay, but I wanted to show them with my log that I have been ready to go ever since they told me to be ready to leave on Wednesday. And hopefully get paid something for it. Wednesday around noon they called me told me ready to go Wednesday night, they told me same thing Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

I understand where you're coming from, but I don't think doing your logs that way will help. In fact it will hurt your ability to drive later because you'll have logged 56 hours in 4 days before even hitting the road. You'll have to take a restart after like 1 day. If they want to pay you for that time they'll probably do it regardless of how you logged the time. My guess is they won't though, since they had to reroute other drivers to cover your load, which I'm sure cost the company money and time. Again, I would just write off the lost earnings and move on. My feeling is that if you press the issue, it will only lead to animosity and a downward spiral in your relationship with the company.

I understand where you're coming from, but I don't think doing your logs that way will help. In fact it will hurt your ability to drive later because you'll have logged 56 hours in 4 days before even hitting the road. You'll have to take a restart after like 1 day. If they want to pay you for that time they'll probably do it regardless of how you logged the time. My guess is they won't though, since they had to reroute other drivers to cover your load, which I'm sure cost the company money and time. Again, I would just write off the lost earnings and move on. My feeling is that if you press the issue, it will only lead to animosity and a downward spiral in your relationship with the company.

Thank you for your opinion and time, Ill take that into consideration.

What have you done to assist in your situation? Have you offered any help or are you just waiting for the company to wait on you hand and foot and pay you for the inconvience you have caused them? I understand you had an emergency but you should be grateful that the company allowed you to even abandon your truck under a load with no action taken. I would be calling them to see if you can meet them somwhere in the middle or be of any assistance at all other than sitting at home complaining.

What have you done to assist in your situation? Have you offered any help or are you just waiting for the company to wait on you hand and foot and pay you for the inconvience you have caused them? I understand you had an emergency but you should be grateful that the company allowed you to even abandon your truck under a load with no action taken. I would be calling them to see if you can meet them somwhere in the middle or be of any assistance at all other than sitting at home complaining.

First of all I didn't abandon my truck and load, my truck is secure and parked in our drop yard. I offered to finish the load and take the truck to our Tacoma terminal before I flew home to my fathers funeral. They insisted I leave the truck and load at the drop yard and get to airport ASAP. And I did offer to meet the other driver but they told me they had driver coming though my area, which is a truck stop an hour away. I'm doing what my DM asked me to do but its hard to meet driver when hes not in my region yet. But I appreciate your assumptions on a matter that you don't know all facts too.

Don't make your assumptions about me when you don't know what's been going on behind the scenes. My only complaint was sitting here not making money waiting. So your "Sitting at home complaining", and "Company waiting hand and foot for you" comments are just ridiculous. Hell of a moderator.

You have the thorn in every OTR trucker's side: waiting. You don't often get paid for waiting, and that only happens when you're on dispatch with a load.

I've gotten both detention and layover pay, but blue moons are more common.

Keep yourself OFF DUTY until you get a truck. If you make a log of "On Duty Not Driving", it could mess up your 70 hour clock once you do get going. The only people really interested in your log book are DOT types. Your company just wants to make sure you stay within HOS specs.

Sounds like you have a company that can help out in a family emergency: "Just get your truck to that drop yard. You get home, we'll deal with the truck." Can you get to a terminal instead of waiting for them to bring a truck to you?

But I appreciate your assumptions on a matter that you don't know all facts too.

Well when you ask for help but don't give us all the facts assumptions are going to be made. Im just looking at things from a different perspective. I just dont think its as easy as you think for the company to drop everything and get your truck back to you. They are having to give up a driver plus eat the driver pay and fuel costs to get to you. Im sure they are doing the best they can but also have customers that are higher priority right now. Do they offer bereavement pay? I am sorry for your loss may your dad rest in peace!!!