A driver log book template is a type of document that uses to monitor and document the daily trips and activities that drivers do. The drivers who use this document are bus drivers, train drivers, company drivers and taxi drivers. Further, they need to make sure that every activity they are doing is recording properly. The log serves as a basis for driver’s salary work like a logbook sheet.
What is a Log Book?
A truck driver that keeps a paper record with him is known as a logbook. A logbook contains duty hours, driving hours and time spent on the sleeper berth. Moreover, these electronic devices are attached to the vehicle engine. In Addition, you can track how long the motion of the truck is. Normally, drivers don’t keep a logbook with them. However, their employer must keep a record of the last 6 months that show details of the logbook. Further, the total number of hours that driver works on each day of duty. In Addition, the time he releases from duty.
Drivers Daily Log
The drivers maintain their daily log in which include duty hours, daily hours and time spent on the sleeping birth. There are different types of drivers who use this logbook. These are bus drivers, train drivers, company drivers and taxi drivers. You can download different logbooks free from the internet and use them as per your requirements.
There are different sections in each driver’s logbook. The drivers from different categories maintain it. Here are few details about that:
On-Duty (Not on-road)
Driving
Sleeper
Off-Duty
When drivers are filling the hours they draw a line across the hours. That shows their shift for the day. A driver log also contains the driver name, employee number, shipping number and the number of hours drivers work.
How to complete the driver’s daily log?
Drivers need enough rest for driving the vehicle. However, this can be dangerous for the life of a driver. Further, federal laws are very restrictive and you can stay off the road. Moreover, the Federal Motor Carrier Ministry makes sure that drivers follow the rule in daily activity. In Addition, if they don’t maintain an accurate log it can result in severe penalties like suspension of license. There is the rule for following the log:
Before Starting of Driving:
The driver’s layout of the logbook contains variable information. However, before start driving, you should fill the form with the following information like driver name and address, motor carrier, truck number and shipping documents and details.
While During Driving:
AS mentioned before, logs have the grid for 24 hours. However, you can document all activities properly. You can use the log’s grid to document these activities from the start of your shift to the end. For instance, you start your shift in the morning at 9:am. However, there is an off-duty section and you can draw a line from midnight to the time you start your shift. In Addition, you should allocate half an hour for a pre-trip inspection. Moreover, you should allow this time because it considers as “on duty but not driving”. To indicate this time you draw a line from midnight to 8:30 a.m. Further, another time starting all the way to 09:00 a.m. These 30 minutes will work as an indication of the inspection time before you start driving. Further, you create another line for the “driving” section to indicate the amount of time you require to drive to your first stop.
Take a Break From Driving:
If you take a break from your driving, this will count as off-time from duty. However, you can indicate the time you spent on the break. Further, you need to record all the activities. It means you should bring it all in writing.
Fill Complete Details:
You can write down details in the remarks section. You can explain where were you every time you changed your duty. Further, you can include your town or city and the state you enter. In Addition, you can point out the nearest landmark which will ensure your statement’s accuracy.
Tally all the Activities:
After finishing your shift, you should note down all of your activities. You should check your total number of hours and make sure that all add on one whole day. Further, you can write the total number of miles you drive in a whole shift.
Logbook Templates For Drivers
Logbooks use for maintaining duty hours, off duty, sleeper and break time during duty. You can make your document with the help of Microsoft excel. Further, there are ready-made templates available for your customization. You may also like Taxi Receipt Templates.
Filling drivers’ logs is very important. Most company policies along with Federal law state that you truck driver must fill out the truck driver template. Further, you can apply to other types of drivers. If the company and driver didn’t follow the rule, they have to pay a huge fine. This also makes the habit of filling out the driver’s daily log which is important. Nevertheless, if you have a busy schedule, you should never forget to fill in the important information on the document. There are a few guidelines for filling the daily logbook.
Write the complete address of your company.
Give details of the complete home terminal address where the dispatcher issued from.
Indicate how many hours you spent on shift.
At the shift end, write the odometer reading and your total distance for a drive.
If you face any accidents or breakdowns please note them down write away. Further, you should indicate the city or town where this incident happens. When writing the event describe them as an “incident” or breakdown.
Write complete names of cities rather than abbreviations. For the state, you can use abbreviations.
If you are the owner of driving multiple vehicles, make sure you include all the details.
Make sure you do it all legally and do your signature.
Make sure you finalize your logbook at the end of each day and are ready for submission. AS per Federal law you should hand over your logbook template to your motor carrier within 13 days. However, if there is a change policy you should follow that.
Usually, a driver’s daily log contains four major parts 24 boxes each to represent the number of hours in a day. The four sections characterize the shifts of the drivers which are as follows:
On-duty (not on the road)
Driving
Sleeper
Off-duty
On the driver’s log sheet, draw a line across the hours that represent your shift for that day. A driver’s log book template also contains sections for the name of the driver, the employee number, tractor numbers, shipping numbers, and the hours the driver’s work in the past week.
Steps to follow when completing the drivers’ daily log
Drivers ought to never deal with vehicles without enough rest. This can be an extremely hazardous thing. In actuality, government regulations require tired drivers to remain off the street. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration endeavours to guarantee that drivers adhere to these guidelines by archiving their everyday actions on drivers’ day-to-day logs. Not keeping a precise log can bring about extreme outcomes like the driver’s permit getting suspended or different punishments. If you have any desire to utilize the log appropriately, follow these means:
Before you begin driving
Formats of a driver’s log book template might differ as long as they all contain the necessary data. Indeed, even before you begin driving, you ought to begin finishing up the structure with the fundamental data including the name and address of your engine transporter, the quantity of your truck, and any delivery records and details, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
While you’re driving
As previously mentioned, logs have grids which range from 24 hours. You can archive every one of your activities fittingly. Utilize the log’s framework to record these activities from the outset of your shift as far as possible. Suppose that your shift begins at 9 AM. At the clock segment, define a boundary from noon 12 PM to the time you start your shift. Apportion to some extent 30 minutes before the hour of your flight for your pre-trip review. You ought to distribute this time since it’s considered as “on duty but not driving.” To show this time, define the boundary from 12:00 12 PM to 8:30 in the first part of the day. Then make a different line beginning from that time the whole way to 9:00 in the first part of the day. The 30-minute imprint fills in as a sign of the examination time before you begin driving. Then, at that point, make a different line on the “driving” segment to show how much time you want to drive the entire way to your most memorable stop.
At the point when you enjoy some time off from driving
When you enjoy some time off from your driving, make a different line from the driving segment to the “off the clock” area. Show how long you spent on your break. The significant thing to remember is to continuously record every one of the exercises you do. This will guarantee that all that you do is recorded as a hard copy.
Filling in all of the details
In the comments area, you can record articulations making sense of each of the exercises you have done and where you were each time you changed your movement. Try to show the town or city and the state you’re in. Then, at that point, demonstrate the closest milestone to guarantee the exactness of your assertion.
Tallying
After your shift, you ought to come up with a tally of how long you had spent on every one of the various activities. Record the all-out number of hours and ensure that they all amount to one entire day. Then record the complete number of miles you had driven for the entire shift.
Mistakes to avoid when filling out a driver’s daily log
You ought to constantly finish up the driver log sheet precisely and totally. This is significant for a lot of reasons, not only for your compensation calculation. While you’re recording data on the log, stay away from these errors: Composing a wrong or fragmented address. Whether you’re recording the corporate location or the home terminal address, ensure that it’s right. If you don’t know the total location, ask your superiors. Not indicating all of the required shipping transportation records. You should constantly show any documentation required during the transportation process. Instances of record-related data to incorporate are the heap’s Manifest Number, the bill of filling, the ware and the transporter, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Not composing the name of the city where you came from and where you went. You compose this data in the comments sections of the log. There are times when you might get the log back with remarks for corrections. Ordinarily, you simply need to address minor errors. However, on the off chance that something on your log doesn’t make any sense, you might need to clear up this for your superior. A few drivers aren’t as genuine as the others. At the point when they neglect to finish up their log, they decide to adulterate the data so they will not cause problems. This is a major no. You will cause problems when you distort reports as opposed to conceding that you neglected to fill the logbook at a specific date. Far more detestable, a few drivers may deliberately enter incorrect data on their logs for their benefit. This might happen to drivers who get compensated by the mile. This implies that the more miles they cover while driving, the more cash they acquire. To add to this, since shipping organizations need to comply with extremely severe time constraints, this makes them push the drivers to work to an ever-increasing extent. Yet rather than put the work in, a few drivers distort the records and give wrong data. The organization must check the logs appropriately to ensure that they contain precise data.
How long do keep drivers’ everyday log books?
As time passes by and records fire stacking up, you could begin considering how long you ought to keep drivers’ day-to-day log books. As per the DOT, how much time is expected to keep records relies upon the kind of archive. A driver log sheet falls under the class of “Driver Maintenance and Performance Reports.” This classification incorporates records which contain data about the support and execution of the drivers and their vehicles after each shift. Organizations ought to record and store such reports for somewhere around 90 days from the date when the driver arranged the report. It’s wise to save the reports for a more extended time frame, particularly if you have the space for the documents at the office.
Conclusion:
A driver logbook is a template that is for inspecting the daily trips and activities of a driver. It includes duty hours(off the road), driving, sleep and duty on the road. The drive logbook is such a document that different categories of drivers daily fill and provide complete details to their motor carrier. They enter, the name of the driver, truck number, employee number and shipping number in the logbook template. Further, the driver and company need to follow federal law. In case there is a violation, their license can be suspended. The state can say stay away from driving. As a result, it’s important to follow all rules and update your logbook document on daily basis. The logbook templates are available online you can easily download and utilize them for your need.
