EOBR Electronic Logs - Good or Bad

Discussion in 'Trucking Industry Regulations' started by SLCTrucker, Apr 13, 2010.

  1. ironpony

    ironpony Road Train Member

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    It shows up in other places... log violations, speeding tickets. Why do you think Werner has that ad about "no paper logs" on the back of their vans? Not because they thought electronic logs were a good idea... that was the enforcement result of a pattern of corporate violations that had the net result of coercing drivers to violate the law.
     
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  3. One thing I just thought of.........

    I've transitioned to doing all of my bookwork electronically. I communicate electronically for all my loads and pretty much everything else I do with my truck. I even schedule maintenance and repairs with the shop that I use on-line. I guess my logbook is the last thing I do that isn't really handled electronically.

    I think that it's inevitable that we'll see EOBR's, and I'd even like one on my truck. I just ABSOLUTELY HATE the thought of it being mandated by an already out of control, power hungry, big brother promoting, way too intrusive federal government!!!

    On the other hand, a case could be made that if everybody out here was doing things the way they are supposed to (running legal and compliant), we wouldn't be worrying about government mandated EOBR's.
     
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  4. JustSonny

    JustSonny Big Dummy

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    Hmmmmm, spot on! Isn't that the whole deal in a nutshell? Why does the government have to step in and regulate common sense and professionalism? I have zero experience in trucking but I've complied with laws all my life....(well, for the most part, but that was the 60s.:biggrin_25525:) I don't have to agree with the laws. I can express my disagreement, I can pout, I can whine and moan, I can belittle the lawmakers, I can write to lawmakers and let them know how I feel, I can do all sorts of things to express my discontent, but, in the mean time, ######, I just have to abide by the system. Maybe, just maybe, the law that I don't like is benefitting more people than it is aggravating. Naaah, it's all about ME!!!!!
     
  5. Rocks

    Rocks Road Train Member

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    I agree we need rules for safety but I don't think government makes much common sense... were HOS regulations made by experienced drivers and people who acctually work in the trucking industry? I don't think so. :biggrin_25512: Those who make these laws don't have much knowledge of what happens in our day-by-day life on the road.
    Wish we drivers were more united, more proactive, more participative and more successful in the making of these laws that affect our lifes.
    BTW, the HOS regs don't make me safer than my own common sense. I still have to deal with some weird schedules, traffic jams, customers (shippers n receivers) that hold me for hrs and hrs and then don't have a place for me to take my 10 hr break, weather, and other unexpected situations that make it sometimes practically impossible for me not to do some "creative logging".
    Thankfully, I am in a very good dedicated account, our dispatcher doesn't force us to run illegal, we have a great load planner that gives us preplans days in advance and plenty of time to figure out our hrs. We don't have appt. for deliveries... I can call shippers and get all necessary info in advance that helps me to plan my trip and avoid problems. But the regular fleet is not that lucky... I wonder how our solo drivers in my co. are doing with the electronic log in the regular fleet....
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2010
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  6. Rocks

    Rocks Road Train Member

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    Since you are using an electronic log and you like it, tell us a little bit of how yours work. Can you log let's say, 5 minutes driving? 8 minutes on duty? Do you have a line 5? Does the co. "allow" you to drive a little longer if you are almost out of hrs but can't find a place to park? If you pull out your breaks, can you log as not driving? How fast does your truck go? Did you say are teaming? Just curiousity...:biggrin_25519: Thx.
     
  7. brsims

    brsims Road Train Member

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    I just thought I'd drop in on this discussion breifly. A few years back, I was a dedicated driver with Werner Enterprises. Because of the way my freight ran, and the scheduled hometime of the account, I had to deadhead 300-400 miles to get home on occassion. I did that driving as personal drive time. All I had to do was secure permission from dispatch, and I could log the drive time as off-duty. Dispatch would send a message to the QC verifying the personal drive time, and that I wasn't under dispatch for a load, in case I got pulled in for inspection. I got stopped once in OH doing this, and the DOT inspector told me that everything was in order, and to have a nice day. Just my .02, and my boring little story.
     
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  8. corneileous

    corneileous Road Train Member

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    Exactly. I know the rules could prolly be a little better thought out but until they do, we have to abide by them as they are. I hope I'm not "handing anyone a noose" with me saying this, but I wouldnt be surprised if the people who lie and cheat on their logs are the same people who always ask if the chicken coops are open. If they were runnin legal, they wouldnt care if they were open or closed....


    I agree, theres a whole pot fulla laws and regulations that I disagree with but they are the law and to drive truck, we have to follow them or we dont drive...

    But, if there were a helluva lot more "professionalism" and "common sence", there would be no need for laws.

    Well, with England's, your time gets logged to the minute. It doesnt work in fifteen minute intervals like with paper logs. But with England, they reguire you to show a fifteen minute pretrip and post trip, but your co-driver only has to flag a quick walk-around if he/she starts driving as soon as you finish your post trip. There are some states that require a pre and post trip for both drivers no matter what but since we dont know which states those are, we show a 15 minute pre and post trip regardless.

    We have the Off-duty driving line but Englands policy is the only time you can use it is if you are not dispatched to a load. I would say that going home is the only time you can use it, but there have been times were we finished up a load and had to wait how ever many hours to get a new load so, inbetween that time you finish your current load and when you get a new one, you can use the off-duty driving because you arent considered under a load.

    As far as the company allowing us to "fudge" our logs, I'm sure they do, but I would imagine that you have to have good reason. But, I wouldnt be surprised if they said just this once because they would prolly follow that up with saying you didnt trip plan very well, hence the reason for you asking for more time cause you cant find a place to shut down for the night. But I know that there are times where that happens regardless of how well you trip plan. Things happen that you cant plan for. I know this because I had to drive by myself for about 5 weeks while my wife was home for medical reasons and there were a few times were I didnt think Id find a place to park before i ran out of time but luckily, I did. Needless to say, thats why if I could help it, I always started lookin for some where to park once I got down to an hour and a half to 2 hours left on my time.

    I have the control to log and change what i want as long as its not drive time. If I drove it, my log will show it. The only thing we have to show is 15 minute pretrips, 15 minute post trips, 15 minutes for fueling and 30 minutes while at a shipper or receiver.

    My truck is governed at 62. But, I did drive 626 miles in one day in 10 hours and 45 minutes.
     
  9. Rocks

    Rocks Road Train Member

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    If you team, there's no issue with logs cause your team partner can always take over once you are done driving and vice-versa... unless he/she is taking 34... but even that can be easily avoided with little planning.
    Now, when you drive solo (as you have already experienced), there are times when it's very hard or just impossible to comply.
     
  10. corneileous

    corneileous Road Train Member

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    Oh, there is still the possibility of havin issues even while teaming, they just aren't as likely. Depending on the situation, you both may be low on hours and let's say you can only drive 6 hours on your shift for example and when you run out, your co driver can't take over for another 4 hours so trip planning and not waiting till the last minute to find a place to stop are just the same as if you were solo.
     
  11. Rocks

    Rocks Road Train Member

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    Yes, it can happen... it's just not as hard and as frequent as when you are solo, you know...

    I think that electronic logs may be helpful for teams, but not so for solo drivers, and much less for company solo drivers. We will have to do more planning, will still be running less miles, making less money and will have less freedom on the road...
     
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