Explain E-Logs to me please.

I'll try to keep it brief. Just about everything is the same as if you were on paper logs. You update your duty status the same way but use the Qualcomm (or whatever form of E-logs your company uses) instead of a pen and paper. Most systems won't change your duty status to "Driving" unless you exceed a certain speed or distance threshold... moving across a parking lot won't do it. Same for leaving a customer who doesn't want you overnighting on site and parking out down the street a few blocks... you'd usually need to go at least a few miles for it to automatically kick over onto line 3. And some systems (depending on how your employer sets it up) allow for "Line 5" Off Duty Driving as well.

 

no they aren over, but LIMITED. most(not all) E-logs system wil give you x amout of movement ( ie 2 miles) before it kicks you on to drive mode.
you can still show "arrived at shipper" on elogs and be good

 

Most eLog systems allow the truck to be moved (under about 25 MPH) and less then about 2 mile radius from where you went off duty or to sleeper berth, and NOT click the system over to drive. Furthermore, many will allow you to quickly change back to previous status if if does move to drive and you get stopped and change it quick enough. There are a number of ways to "game" the eLogs system. And the carrier knows this but they're Ok with it too within reason. The carrier honestly does not want your job to be more difficult or you capacity to be reduced due to eLogs so they build in a few "cheats" that the drivers can exploit to their advantage (and the carrier). It's not a perfect world, and eLogs are usually configured (parameters) with this in mind.

I fought eLogs for a long time, but once you learn them and how to work with them, they're not bad, and generally a good thing especially with the right type of hauls. That said, they will require you to change the way you do things if you've gotten into certain "habits". And yes, there are some situations where they can really bite. A lot has to do with the type of running you will be doing. Shorter regional hauls can be problematic with eLogs, longer runs (1100+ mile avg length of haul) eLogs can be managed pretty easily.

 

Different companies have them set up differently but on mine I can move 7 miles at any speed before it switches my duty status. If I stop for 3 minutes it resets and I can go another 7 miles. If it's more than 7 miles to get somewhere to park after getting unloaded I hit line 5 and go. They're not as bad as people made them seem when they were new but having that clock that doesn't stop does add a little stress to the day.

 

I've used the Qualcomm elogs with 3 different companies now. It is my understanding that the companies can set the parameters however they like. The company that I'm with now has it set so that if you put yourself off duty, it will not go to the drive line until you exceed 15 mph or travel 2 miles. That means that I can drive across a customers lot or the truckstop lot without it logging it as drive time. Also, if the truck stop is down the road, and I have to go on the drive line to get there, as long as I am driving less than 5 min when I stop and put it back on off-duty, it will turn that 4-minutes-or-less back to off-duty time (it will, if I am out of my 11 or 14, flag it with what it calls an "HOS warning", but not an actual violation. If I do not switch it back to off-duty before the 5 minute mark, it will be a HOS violation. If I'm not over on 11or 14, I will then have to restart my break at that point).

every company that I've been with that had elogs had it set up slightly different. There are some tricks that you can use once you figure out the system and it's parameters, and you can go back and edit everything except the drive time. All in all, elogs are not that bad to live with day to day, you just have to plan ahead a little more and learn to use them to your best advantage.

hope this helps and feel free to ask if you need more specific info or clarification on anything.

 

all depends on why you went over. you do have "safe haven" still
and how long/often you went over. lets say you wen over by 10 min once and that was it, prob wont even call ya. now if you go over by 10 min ever 4 days then there will be issues.

 

It is best NOT to have to find out.

 

Downtime? You mean like a 10 hour break or going home or just sitting waiting for a load or at a shipper or reciever? If you move the tractor, no big deal. Most Elogs (PeopleNet and Qualcomm) have a certain mile limit that if you exceed lets say 2 miles or go over 25 mph then it will set you automatically into drive but if you catch it before 3 minutes of going over and stop and change it back to on duty/off duty or sleeper birth then you won't be in violation or start your clock depending on what part of your day you are on. I have shut down at a receiver before that wouldn't let me park on site but i could close by and it basically works the same... 2 miles or 25 mph and if you catch it before 3 minutes you will be fine...basically just creep in there and bump the dock and if you aren't done before your break is up or something like that creep back out to where you were but watch the elog to make sure you dont go over that 3 minutes cause if you get 3 minutes in, there is no erasing that. The paper days are coming to a definite end for sure, Elogs are becoming standard nowadays and honestly once you get used to them you wont wanna go back to paper, they make your job easier, if you do them right they will basically take care of your logging for you. If you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help anyway I can.