EOBR Electronic Logs - Good or Bad

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

  1. SLCTrucker

    SLCTrucker Medium Load Member

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    Jan 15, 2009
    Salt Lake City UT
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    Our company switched to electronic logs last year.
    I waited till the last minute to switch as I really hated the thought of using them.

    Now I have been running them I actually like them, more than paper logs.
    Our system uses logs incorperated into the qualcomm system, we can edit everything except driving or off duty driving before the log is submitted daily, after that it can be done but that has to be done by logs department including the driving. (for example if co driver forgot to switch to his log before taking off it can be fixed)

    I am a trainer and we run team and run dedicated lanes, so running out of hours for me is not a concern.

    They save me time, never have to check the recap as its all live in the log program, calculates everything even down to 34 hr restarts.
    Warns you if your about to go onduty and have not taken a full 10 hour rest period.

    I have noticed if im not careful I can loose 5 minutes here and there from driving, but if I take 10 minutes to fuel and pull of the pump I can log just 10 minutes.

    A few weeks ago they were checking logs in TN and I was pulled over to have them checked at a scale, The officer asked to see logs, I told him I was on electronic logs and asked him for a fax number as thats how we send logs from the qualcomm to them, then he said "Oh electronic logs" and let me go without checking futher.

    Since running them I would not say I have got more productive as the company claimed but I do find it easier not to have to fill out paper logs.

    I am able to run/log 100% legal, and have been told by others if the same thing.

    I would not say they will be great for every operation and I have never been in the postion of running out of hours on a loading dock and being made to move from the customer, so I really dont know how that would work, but I know you can move 7/10s of a mile before it starts recording.
     
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  3. virgil tatro

    virgil tatro Medium Load Member

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    Mar 26, 2010
    columbus montana
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    what does everyone think we have to look forward to?
     
  4. phroziac

    phroziac Road Train Member

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    Jun 16, 2009
    Gary, IN
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    With my company, the EOBR is lacking the OB part. It's not friggin on board.

    How can an eobr not be on board?

    And because of that, it sucks and screws you out of hours it shouldnt pretty often.

    Because it runs off the qualcomm and is actually at a remote server.
     
  5. virgil tatro

    virgil tatro Medium Load Member

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    Mar 26, 2010
    columbus montana
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    I dont want nothing to do with eobrs!!! i dont need nothing to tell me when i need to stop my parents passed years ago...only i know when im tired!!!
     
    old-school Thanks this.
  6. phroziac

    phroziac Road Train Member

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    Jun 16, 2009
    Gary, IN
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    it turns you into a darn steering wheel holder. the company drives the truck with an eobr..
     
    old-school and virgil tatro Thank this.
  7. Sly Fox

    Sly Fox Road Train Member

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    Oct 29, 2009
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    OP, I know what you're talking about.

    I've had to deal with running out of hours at shippers. At receivers, you're legally allowed to log off-duty driving to get to a place to park (even though the customer is not allowed to make you violate your HOS). But the problem is if you show up to a pickup with 4 hours left, and they take 5 hours, give you your bills and tell you to scram. That's when it's tricky. Especially if you were asleep in the bunk for four hours already. You don't logically interrupt your reset to drive five miles to a truck stop. Yet you're loaded and legally required to log it (even if out of hours).

    But if you log it, your 10-hr (or if you go onto the 8-hr using a 2-hr break in the 5), you're still waking up way before you're legal to drive the next day. So, you're ###### if you do, ###### if you don't.

    As for EOBRs, I agree. They make your day faster as you no longer have to fill out paper logs (graph line, location, etc). However, there's something very unnerving about having a clock counting down on your dashboard until you're out of hours. It's a race to beat the clock every day. And no wonder England is having a huge number of roll-overs since implementing EOBRs. Everybody's racing that clock and driving faster than they should.

    Maybe the FMCSA can get that data and realize that if we are to have EOBRs, maybe the EOBR-users can have slightly tweaked HOS rules to accommodate the real world situations we run into everyday that previously we could work our paper logs around.
     
    rachi Thanks this.
  8. rachi

    rachi Road Train Member

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    Feb 25, 2010
    SoCal
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    Marten has started going E-log. I got mine 3 months ago. I don't like it. Its true, I do find myself wanting to go faster cause im looking at the thing counting down the hours. Im OTR and everything we haul has to be there yesterday. Im alot more stressed with it. If you think you are stressed now, wait till you get one. Dedicated drivers and teams shouldn't have much problems with them, but if you are OTR then good luck!:biggrin_25512:
     
  9. AdamT2k

    AdamT2k Light Load Member

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    Feb 6, 2009
    Minneapolis, MN
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    Good in my opinion. No chance for errors. I only need to show 5 minutes on duty for my pre trip and post trip versus the 15 minutes when paper logging. That allows 20 additional productive minutes during the day. Sure, there's a clock ticking down on the dash board telling when you're out of hours for the day, but I'd rather have that than risk going beyond my HOS because I couldn't remember when I went on duty this morning. Also, it will vary company to company, but for example if I run out of hours at a shipper or receiver, I'm allowed up to 10 miles of driving off duty to find a place to park if I can't shutdown where I'm at. If you are a safe driver and a good planner and run legal, then there's no reason why any driver should be against EOBRs. I think the drivers who tend to bend / break the rules are the ones resisting EOBRs the most. Lastly, the regs aren't forcing EOBRs in all CMVs, only the carriers that notoriously fail DOT inspections. I'm sure I'll catch some heat on this, but these are my opinions and I'm entitled to post them. CSA 2010 can't get here fast enough. Run safe, run compliant, or get off the highways.
     
    jphowe and Yatista Thank this.
  10. Buckaneer

    Buckaneer Light Load Member

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    Jan 22, 2010
    United Kingdom
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    Where did you hear this ?

    Im not aware of any increase in roll-overs in this country and our trucks are speed limited so racing the clock is futile.

    The majority of truck accidents happen as a result of one or two factors, sometimes those factors are singular other times they are combined.

    Drivers driving too close. Drivers driving tired.
     
  11. Scuby

    Scuby Heavy Load Member

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    Mar 10, 2007
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    Adam how do you do a proper Pretrip in 5 minutes. It takes me at least 15-20 minutes and thats rushed. It wouldn't surprise me that DOT will get you on a log violation someday.
     
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