The general consensus from the steering wheel side:

We've got one of the better safety and dot inspection records out there...

we don't need it or want it and you can have my book when you pry it from my cold dead fingers... !!!


I asked one (very perturbed) driver, "So, what are you gonna do? Quit?"

His reply actually made me snicker just a titch, "Hell no, they're gonna have to fire me and pay out some unemployment, no sir I ain't stupid and I could use the time off..."

LOL !!!!

well alrighty then.... there ya'go...

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Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

E logs go live April 1st

Kinda fitting in a sick and twisted way.

Here is a tale of two days on this new fangled Japanese inspired nonsense.

Day 1: Was parked in Eddyville and had to scoot over to the mill to unload and reload. 3.5 hours of my life that I will never get back. Then it is switch trailers in Ottumwa and shoot up to Algona IA to unload. The hope and plan is to then get back to the yard because my next load needs to get to Cedar rapids in the morning. As I am on my way to Algona I become VERY aware of the little countdown clock staring at me. Doing the math I realize I need everything to go perfectly to get back before the clock runs out and I turn back into a pumpkin. I got done up there with about 3.25 hours to go and 210 miles to cover. I also needed some gas. My first 35 miles or so is two lane road and I am now stuck behind every combine, school bus and nervous senior citizen that the state of Iowa can muster. I got to the truck stop with time wasting and jammed my com-data card into the slot. The reader's screen flashes up "Please wait" for about 5-10 seconds which feels like an eternity. I am a very mild mannered easy going guy but I honestly felt a rage building up in me and a very real desire to kick the tar out of the card reader. Any hoo I ran out of time about 30 miles short of my goal but using the 16 hour rule with a very loose interpretation I was able to make it back by a tad after 2100.

Day 2: Remember that tad after 2100? I ended up pacing in the office cooling my heels waiting for the last minutes of my ten hour break to be over. After that it was up to Cedar Rapids to unload some acid then back to Eddyville to reload the barrel. Bring that back to Ottumwa and drop it then pull a caustic load back to Eddyville. That caustic went really well in that I turned it around in under two hours. Then it was off to Keokuk to load the next days load in the morning. Got there with plenty of daylight to get the bike out and go for a good long bike ride.

Day 3: Load in Keokuk IA going to Blair NE then back to the yard. Made it back with a hour and change available to drive on the E log but my paper log showed using 11 driving hours. I did better according to this new fangled spawn of Satan? Hmmm this may not be as bad as I feared. A slight learning curve to get over but all in all not so bad.

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Bad spellers of the world...UNTIE!!!

elog update: april 1st - june 4th 2009

elogs has only screwed me once so far and cost me a night on the road.

I may have actually cost myself this night from not understaning the system....

I still, very much, think the whole system sucks. I know and understand why the company has them, I also know and understand why they went to transponders many moons ago...

In the old days communicating with a driver was hard and costly and technology will save us all... (cue Star-Spangled-Banner)

btw: they invented cell phones and we haven't upgraded to this technology??? what the heck??? phone rings... got your next load... hey great have a nice day *big hugz life is great and so is personal communication*

federal compliance issues, weeding out the bad apples, becoming more efficient... ad nauseum...

It still sucks big time... !!!!!!!!!!!

What it all boils down to is this,

Emotionally: do you want a camera pointed at you in the john so big brother can make sure you wipe three times???

Kiss my rosey sphincter !!!! it is none of your bees-wax.

Argumenative: The company is responsible and held liable for compliance?

SO???? I turn in my log and if it is legal you are in compliance...

Yes, but how does the cmpany know you didn't cheat or that you were keeping the log up to date and not filling it in after the fact?

simple, when the dot man catches me in violation you fire me and hire a new and more responsible driver to take my place.

but we would run out of drivers and half of you would be unemployed and that would cost a fortune to find people with perfect records...

yes, and that would be good for me... because driving would suddenly pay what it is worth...

transponders and elogs are a way of forcing compliance, avoiding fines, avoiding expensive responsible drivers.

transponders and elogs are a technological equivalent to a taskmaster in the old sweatshop/slavery days...

transponders and elogs are everything but the two dash-cams (which some companies already have) pointed out and in making sure you are doing exactly what you are supposed to, the 21st century baby-sitters.

its their truck and they can do whatever they like...

true and if the same job were available across the street without them, that's where I'd be working...

its far too late for this industry's workers to say very much because no stand was taken 20 years ago when all this crap started...

yesterday I was dispatched to deliver a load at 8a.m. and also pick up a load 200 miles away at 8 a.m.

my task-master beeped urgently, "why are you late?" contact supervisor or dispatch immediately.

I replied, "I can't be in two places at once." which was a much abbreviated version of what I'd have liked to have said.

maybe we need cameras watching the watchers?

NO!!!! absolutely not!!!

and I'll tell you why...

Simply because I respect and trust all people as human beings far to much to point a camera at them, automated or not, efficient or not, even though I am not afforded this same respect myself.

If suddenly empowered to take the whip from the task-master, my first order of business would not be to whip him, but instead, to simply destroy the whip and save all.

paranoia will destroya...

btw: in the name of efficiency... et all...

why am I still mowing down trees to push paper around in circles and wasting my time faxing crap to tinbucktu ????

hi I got your ammonia... sign here on the e-bill with the e-pen.

*flash* its transmitted to corporate/customer/shipper/receiver/payroll

got any clue how much of my day is wasted ??? print this sign this you sign this... I take this here's your copy, hey customer sign this I sign that, here's your copy... write write write.... fax this keeps this...transflow all over heck and back.....????????????

oh wait a minute.... never mind....

I forgot I'm paid by the mile so my time is free to everyone...

well except to me... because it is my time and I pay dearly when it is given away for free...

just a thought...

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Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

Man! I started reading and laughing (Or lol'ing to the douche bags in cyberland) but your narrative seemed to take an ugly turn. By the time I got to "Destroy the whip" I felt I needed to roll a thick one and contemplate your muse.

Stop making me think on my weekend off!

Bad, bad Sixfoot, bad driver!!!

BTW bitch about the new dvir forms next...I hate those.

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Bad spellers of the world...UNTIE!!!

don't even get me started... I also am off for the weekend... lol

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Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

I am honestly surprised that Big Brother didn't mandate e-logs for all carriers years ago.

The company I work for has them and I love them its one less piece of paper I don't have to fill out I'll admit it took me a little time to figure it out and no its not Werner. Just MHO have a blessed day

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God bless you and keep you safe out there