Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
If I'm understanding correctly your asking if you can drive from phoenix to El Paso as off-duty because you don't have a load?
Anytime your driving is logged as 'driving' not as off-duty. For instance, I am at home and decide to dead-head to Tri-State, the time I spend driving is logged as driving. I am considered on-duty driving anytime I am behind the wheel with my gears in drive. Now if I am at home, cleaning the house I am off-duty, see I believe that's how it works.
Now if I am only going across the street to the truckstop next door, I don't bother to change my log from off-duty or sleeper to on-duty driving since it is less then .7 miles. Now if I am going to the truckstop up the road 20 miles then I have to log 'on-duty driving' cause 20 miles is greater then .7 miles and then I have started my 14 hr clock for the day. See thats how it works.