FRA Hours of Service Forms

What kind of experiences have you guys had with FRA Hours of Service Forms? I mean if you miscalculate an hour or two not affecting your rest hours -let's say 14 hours off instead of 13 -does the FRA coming knocking at your door?

Strange question. The carriers seem more intent on accurate addition on these forms. The FRA seems to want to see all the blanks filled in. (some guys always forget to sign in, or put their off duty time, for some reason) The FRA might take exception, to your wrong addition, but if the mandatory 8 hours of rest, or 10 hours of rest wasn't violated, then there isn't a legal issue. (a technical "fault" might have occurred, but if you are legally rested, then it would seem unlikely to suffer the burden of a fine, or discipline) The railroads are responsible for filling out HOS violation reports, if and when they occur, not the employees. In fact, it's the Law, to report them, if your a carrier, and are aware of said violation. We are discussing something in the same light, on our property, right now. We are unaware of any individual, ever receiving a visit, or a fine, from a Federal Agency, regarding FRA violations. It is possible, with the current laws on the books, but the carriers still bear the brunt of the wrath, even though, at times, that it might not be the fair thing to be happening....... I personally would like to hear of an actual First Hand accounting, of an individual being fined. Not "I knew a guy, back on my last job....." The new laws being proposed have some people "running scared", much like the false alarms that were heard, loudly sounding regarding Engineer Certification, and random drug testing, back in late 1990.......

We had a trainmaster personally fined because he sent a train off with a "defective" marker. It was daytime but foggy, and Mr. FRA man thought that the conditions warranted the marker being lit because he couldn't see the end of the train 1/2 mile away in the fog.

That trainmaster is an official, therefore, he IS the carrier. As a manager, he represents the carrier (and occasionally, all that's wrong with it ) and isn't held to the same standards, as the employees in the field. (again, I will mention, this might not always be fair, to either party) We are looking for example(s) of TE&Y employees, fined or fired, by a Federal/State agency, for violations other than Rule G. We are unable to find proof of it ever happening, even though we're sure it must have happened, at least once.