What's new

SAIA | off duty time

I agree but in actuality the logs are very straight forward not too much to screw up with as long as you’re volunteering for weekends and not getting any log or HOS violations I wouldn’t worry about it just make sure you have time for your 34 hour reset before Monday
 
runawaytrain said:
Opinions vary too much. You need facts. Call ACO and be persistent about it.
Click to expand...


Eh..... I guess if you’re persistent maybe you’ll get answers but that’s a big maybe I’ve posted concerns on things both log, driver and dock related and constantly tried getting answers from multiple sources and all I get is the run around so unless is something directly effecting you at the moment they seem rather content just blowing your concerns off. So much for open door policy
 
firsttobefired said:
ok
I simply like doing linehaul on Saturday to het extra money. I ask questions because Im new and dont want to be fired or ticketted for something ai didnt know.
I still dont understand why hitting off duty even couple times a day counts towards 14hrs a day but not 70hrs during week. In my opinion it should be counted. Since it is not counted then I also think I can take asmany breaks as I want. Maybe breaks are something bad for LH but not for PD.
Click to expand...

Because with the current FMCSA regulations that became active 12/17/17, you aren’t allowed to have split shifts or split sleeper once your shift begins. Once you begin a shift, you are “on duty” in some capacity, until you go off duty for 10
 
Steveo2486 said:
Eh..... I guess if you’re persistent maybe you’ll get answers but that’s a big maybe I’ve posted concerns on things both log, driver and dock related and constantly tried getting answers from multiple sources and all I get is the run around so unless is something directly effecting you at the moment they seem rather content just blowing your concerns off. So much for open door policy
Click to expand...

It’s because the people you are asking are not qualified to answer and clearly aren’t familiar with the regulations. And, would never give an answer/opinion in the event it came back to them. Easier to play dumb (not an act in most cases) and kick the can rather than do the research and actually learn the regulations
 
bigbuck said:
It’s because the people you are asking are not qualified to answer and clearly aren’t familiar with the regulations. And, would never give an answer/opinion in the event it came back to them. Easier to play dumb (not an act in most cases) and kick the can rather than do the research and actually learn the regulations
Click to expand...
The old kick the can down the road response. Yes it does happen more than it should but sometimes you get lucky and actually speak with someone that knows what they are talking about.
 
hihosilverado said:
you can use off duty time as often as you like its your 14
Click to expand...
ok lets say it is true then when can or cant i hit OffDuty. I will give you few examples:
1. waiting 4hrs to unload full trailer in the dock of some company
2. waiting 1hr on parking lot for the dock assignment before unloading
3. residential delivery. no one is at home. you call. customer will be back in 25min
4. on a pick up. you show up but the dock crew is on lunch. yoy have to wait full 30min
5.you finished all deliveries. you call dispatcher and pickups show up in 20min
6.full trailer city switch. you switched trailers but paperwork is not ready, you are told to wait 45min
7. you had a flat tire, service truck shows up in 1.5h and then takes 1hr for replacement
8.linehaul turn, you dropped, broke and hooked up new set but dock supervisor didnt close one of trailers, you have to wait 20min for him to show up and then 10min to fill hazmat card
9. when you switch sets with another driver but you have to wait 1hr 10min
10. lets say you want eat with your diet so beside actual 30min lunch you take 15min breaks every 3hrs
 
firsttobefired said:
ok lets say it is true then when can or cant i hit OffDuty. I will give you few examples:
1. waiting 4hrs to unload full trailer in the dock of some company
2. waiting 1hr on parking lot for the dock assignment before unloading
3. residential delivery. no one is at home. you call. customer will be back in 25min
4. on a pick up. you show up but the dock crew is on lunch. yoy have to wait full 30min
5.you finished all deliveries. you call dispatcher and pickups show up in 20min
6.full trailer city switch. you switched trailers but paperwork is not ready, you are told to wait 45min
7. you had a flat tire, service truck shows up in 1.5h and then takes 1hr for replacement
8.linehaul turn, you dropped, broke and hooked up new set but dock supervisor didnt close one of trailers, you have to wait 20min for him to show up and then 10min to fill hazmat card
9. when you switch sets with another driver but you have to wait 1hr 10min
10. lets say you want eat with your diet so beside actual 30min lunch you take 15min breaks every 3hrs
Click to expand...

Most of what you are describing is “on duty, not driving”. #10 is illegal, you must have a 30 minute uninterrupted lunch break. #7 is also on duty, breakdown. Off duty is when your shift is complete.
 
bigbuck said:
Most of what you are describing is “on duty, not driving”. #10 is illegal, you must have a 30 minute uninterrupted lunch break. #7 is also on duty, breakdown. Off duty is when your shift is complete.
Click to expand...
#10 has at least 1 30min break but also few smaller ones.
all other examples... hmmm... how exactly anybody can know when did a driver take breaks, i mean how a cop or anybody can figure out if you took your break legally or not legally? can I ask this question or is it even illegal to ask?
 
Last edited:
bigbuck said:
Because with the current FMCSA regulations that became active 12/17/17, you aren’t allowed to have split shifts or split sleeper once your shift begins. Once you begin a shift, you are “on duty” in some capacity, until you go off duty for 10
Click to expand...
somehow i missed this post so let me reply.
Now Im really confused. One guy here tells me i can take many breaks during my 14hr shift and you now tell me i can't split shift with breaks. At least this is what I understood from your post. I wouldnt call breaks a split. As far as I understand it I take break when I do nothing and Im not in between something. So if Im doing delivery and it takes more than 15min, even an 1-4hrs then Im On Duty but if Im not in the dock and Im parked somewhere on parking lot eating sandwich and talking on the phone or with some buddy then I should be ok to hit OffDuty.
I dont know if I mention it already but even my city dispatcher told us to use this 30min OffDuty break before 8th hour on some bigger delivery.
 
Last edited:
firsttobefired said:
somehow i missed this post so let me reply.
Now Im really confused. One guy here tells me i can take many breaks during my 14hr shift and you now tell me i can't split shift with breaks. At least this is what I understood from your post. I wouldnt call breaks a split. As far as I understand it I take break when I do nothing and Im not in between something. So if Im doing delivery and it takes more than 15min, even an 1-4hrs then Im On Duty but if Im not in the dock and Im parked somewhere on parking lot eating sandwich and talking on the phone or with some buddy then I should be ok to hit OffDuty.
I dont know if I mention it already but even my city dispatcher told us to use this 30min OffDuty break before 8th hour on some bigger delivery.
Click to expand...

If your city dispatcher told you to use your break while completing a long delivery, ask him/her who is responsible if you were to get injured during that time? Your dispatcher is dead wrong. Just ask safety or worker’s comp.
 
bigbuck said:
If your city dispatcher told you to use your break while completing a long delivery, ask him/her who is responsible if you were to get injured during that time? Your dispatcher is dead wrong. Just ask safety or worker’s comp.
Click to expand...
of course this is possible but extremely unlikely. The question is if a cop sees this break as ok or not.
 
It’s not that confusing really in a 14 hour day your required one 30 min period off duty for a lunch aside from that going off duty does nothing for you it still counts towards your 14 no matter the scenario. Off duty only is needed for your 30 min lunch your 10 hours off to reset your 14 or your 34 hours off to reset your 70. Use it as many times as you wish in a days work but it saves you zero time in your 14 hours
 
Steveo2486 said:
It’s not that confusing really in a 14 hour day your required one 30 min period off duty for a lunch aside from that going off duty does nothing for you it still counts towards your 14 no matter the scenario. Off duty only is needed for your 30 min lunch your 10 hours off to reset your 14 or your 34 hours off to reset your 70. Use it as many times as you wish in a days work but it saves you zero time in your 14 hours
Click to expand...
I dont need to change anything in my 14. I would like to know if beside required 1 30min break you can take more OffDuty breaks. Every time you hit OffDuty, doesnt matter if it is for 10min, 20 or 30, it doesnt affect your 70limit. It only affects your 14. I never work more than 14h a day and never take exceptions(after finding out on my first time that exceptions are really only for LH not for PD). Since taking breaks doesnt affect my 70 I can save more time to use on my Saturday(extra day).
You say I can use OffDuty time as much as I want. I dont think it is that simple. Although I would like. If it would be then I would hit OffDuty on every bigger pickup or delivery and in 14hr day I would be 2hrs driving, 8hrs on duty and 4hrs offduty and paid for 13.5hrs. 5days x 10hrs=50hrs used. Then on Saturday I would still have 20hrs to use which is much more than I phisically can.
 
Sounds like if you need an answer to a question ask a truckers board. Then sift thru the hundreds of qualified answers and pick the one you like
 
Ump said:
Sounds like if you need an answer to a question ask a truckers board. Then sift thru the hundreds of qualified answers and pick the one you like
Click to expand...
Haha. No, I cant but yeah it is ironically funny.
I had 2 new situations I would like to get your opinion. First, I was driving on highway and my wife texted me to call her back because it is emergency. So I stopped and hit off duty. We talked almost 20min so it is not full break.I didnt want to wait another 10min so I drove to my pickup spot. Then I was thinking if I should change this 20min break to OnDuty...
Second situation is when I did delivery to some company and then parked on their parking lot and took lunch. I wasnt lucky either because few minutes later some driver couldnt back into the dock and asked me to move a little. I moved and I had to start my OffDuty again.
What should i do with these OffDuty breaks ? change them to OnDuty?
 
[QUOTE="Pooty tang" ] You are way over thinking this, you are required to take a 30 minute break, which is taken OFF DUTY and flagged as a break. All this going off duty for 10 mins here, 20 mins there is doing nothing for you. Once you start your tour and log in on duty, your 14 hr starts and does not stop until you complete your day and log off to start your 10 hr break. Really its not complicated..[/QUOTE]
Not really. These small breaks are actual breaks when I do nothing work related. It doesnt do anything towards 14 and like you said clock is ticking but it save my time towards 70 so on my extra day I can do better(meaning longer) run. Im asking if these breaks are ok or should I change them to OnDuty?
 
firsttobefired said:
Haha. No, I cant but yeah it is ironically funny.
I had 2 new situations I would like to get your opinion. First, I was driving on highway and my wife texted me to call her back because it is emergency. So I stopped and hit off duty. We talked almost 20min so it is not full break.I didnt want to wait another 10min so I drove to my pickup spot. Then I was thinking if I should change this 20min break to OnDuty...
Second situation is when I did delivery to some company and then parked on their parking lot and took lunch. I wasnt lucky either because few minutes later some driver couldnt back into the dock and asked me to move a little. I moved and I had to start my OffDuty again.
What should i do with these OffDuty breaks ? change them to OnDuty?
Click to expand...
If i was paid by the hour, the only time I'd log off duty would be to take my mandatory 30 minute break. Anything else should be on duty not driving or driving. You're getting paid for every minute you're logged in except your 30 minute break. I don't know how you can change your status after the fact on an eld but it should have put you back on duty once you started driving.
 
The more any driver tries to skirt the system or work in gray areas, loopholes, etc...the more problems you’re going to have. What is so difficult about operating with honesty and integrity and keeping an accurate log of your time? If you are able to continue hitting “off duty” while you are working, that in itself is a red flag to the DOT. Just be honest and legal, live and let live, and be safe.
 
bigbuck said:
The more any driver tries to skirt the system or work in gray areas, loopholes, etc...the more problems you’re going to have. What is so difficult about operating with honesty and integrity and keeping an accurate log of your time? If you are able to continue hitting “off duty” while you are working, that in itself is a red flag to the DOT. Just be honest and legal, live and let live, and be safe.
Click to expand...
It is not about lying. I work 12-14h a day. If a regular human can work 8hrs and have a lunch break by law then I definetely can have 2 breaks. Second, every dock employees and mechanics are allowed to take 2x 15min breaks beside 30min lunch and they work 8-11hrs a day. Third, with so many appointnents we have, it is super hard for me to take lunch before my 10hrs.
 
firsttobefired said:
It is not about lying. I work 12-14h a day. If a regular human can work 8hrs and have a lunch break by law then I definetely can have 2 breaks. Second, every dock employees and mechanics are allowed to take 2x 15min breaks beside 30min lunch and they work 8-11hrs a day. Third, with so many appointnents we have, it is super hard for me to take lunch before my 10hrs.
Click to expand...
Follow me here, as your post is multi-faceted...

Dock employees and mechanics are not under the same scrutiny/standard that you are (carrying and using a class A CDL). You can’t compare yourself to those folks.

As far as “making appointments and it’s hard to take lunch”...that is an issue for your company/dispatcher to be concerned about. Your care and concern are admirable (and rare), but misplaced.

That is YOUR CDL, not Saia’s. Don’t forget that if push came to shove, you will be hung out to dry while Saia goes into CYA mode.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top