highwaySTAR Magazine - Life and Family

Driving is a career or business for many of us, but it's not all we do with our lives. In this section you will be able to find stories, tips and advice that speak to the whole driver. We'll be bringing in experts who can talk about health and family, serious and fun stuff, and we want to include your stories, too!

Old World Trucking
Trucking in Europe isnıt better or worse than here, just different.

Never Say Never
Gord Hyde didnıt plan to earn a living as an owner-op, but heıs made a darned good showing anyway.

Northern Exposure
One veteran driverıs rookie adventure hauling on ice roads.

ARCHIVES

You Can't Get There From Here

As agricultural implements go, peatmoss vacuums must rank as some ofthe weirdest. They run across the driedand cleared peat bogs, and literally suck up the top six in. or so of loose peat. The October winner of theUltramar Travel Kit is Graddon Crabbe of Woodstock, N.B.

Persons making frequent trips between Edmonton and Calgary will have passed this unique barn many times. There aren’t many others like it, so it should be easy to spot. We’re looking for the name of the closest town.

Send your best guess as to where this month’s photo was taken, and we’ll enter your name in the draw forone of 20 highwaySTAR hats, and, one lucky contestant will receive an Ultramar Travel Kit consisting of apolyester sports bag loaded with goodies such as an 18oz stainless steel travel cup, a navy blue shower towel, a hand towel, a polar blanket and a cap, all featuring the Ultramar eagle. A pair of working gloves will also be included.

We’ll accept entries up to the end of the month, so get your guess in soon. Please make sure you giveus all the information we’ll need to get the hat and the Ultramar Travel Kit to you in the mail. If you phone in your answer and leave a message, please speak clearly and give us all the info we need. Thanks!

Call Jim at 416-614-5811 or e-mail him at
jpark@highwaystarmagazine.com.

Can't Get There From Here
highwaySTAR Magazine
51 Attwell Drive, Toronto
ON M9W 5C4
Tel: 416-614-5825 Fax: 416-614-8861
e-mail: jpark@highwaystarmagazine.com

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In the Magazine
You'll find these and other stories in the highwaySTAR print magazine this month. Available at your favourite truckstop.

New HOS regs and team drivers
An Alberta driverıs antique Kenworth collection
Trucks that can back up themselves

Questions & Answers

Question
I always log 15 minutes on duty/not driving for all fuel stops, deliveries, and pickups. Some of my co-drivers only flag fuel stops, what is the correct way according to DOT regulations?
kimberlybain@xxx.com

Answer
According to the DOT regulations (U.S. and Canadian) all non-driving work-related activity is to be logged as on-duty/not driving. On-duty/not driving includes the following:

"On-duty time" means the period that begins when a driver commences work or is required by the motor carrier to be available to work and ends when the driver stops work or is relieved of responsibility by the motor carrier, and includes driving time and time spent by the driver:

(a) inspecting, servicing, repairing, conditioning or starting a commercial vehicle,

(b) traveling in the commercial vehicle as one of two drivers, where the driver is not resting in the sleeper berth,

(d) inspecting or checking the load of a commercial vehicle,

(e) waiting, at the request of the motor carrier by whom the driver is employed or otherwise engaged, for a commercial vehicle to be serviced, loaded or unloaded,

(f) waiting for a commercial vehicle or load to be inspected at a customs office or weighing check-point,

(g) traveling as a passenger in a commercial vehicle, at the request of the motor carrier by whom the driver is employed or otherwise engaged, to a destination where the driver will commence driving time, if the driver has not had eight consecutive hours of off-duty time immediately after arriving at the destination point,

(h) waiting at an en route point because of an accident or other unplanned occurrence or situation,

(i) resting in or otherwise occupying a commercial vehicle, except time spent resting in a sleeper berth,

(j) performing any other work in the capacity of a motor carrier or driver who is employed or otherwise engaged by a motor carrier, or

(k) performing any work for compensation for any non-motor carrier entity.

On other words, any time spent doing something other than driving must be logged as on-duty/not driving. Drivers who do otherwise, risk fines and penalties for falsifying their logs – since you asked.

Jim Park

Past Questions & Answers