E-LOGS

my company told me starting jan 1st all log violations will be reported on my DAC. Not loving the electronic logs!

 

Why not? Most drivers cry about how hard the companies push them to drive. Now that you are getting a system in place that will make the companies run you legal your upset. Can't win and can't loose.

Mark

 

The guidelines are not even finalized. Your statement has no basis of fact.

 

If I start punching a timeclock (electronic logs) I want a hourly wage.

 

Well I'm done with trucking as of the end of 2011 anyway. Im going to be a DJ in a few months and will either be local or part time by the end of 2010.

People need to figure out that its not possible to run 100% legal. EOBRs cause drivers to be in violation over stupid things. Like last night...I had 45 minutes left on my 14. I was told to pick up a load 10 miles away before I went to bed. I'm on I-664 in VA, the nearest truck stops are 10+ miles away. And no matter what I log, it takes a lot longer than 15 minutes to get in and out of that Maersk yard!! Night dispatch told me there was overnight parking at the shipper. I got there, got signed in, asked the guard if i could park for the night, and was told no, not for the night. She told me a walmart i could park 3 miles away at though.

Then everything went wrong. A ziptie replacing the metal tie broke off on my trailer while I was backing it with the doors open, I was in a rush to hook to the loaded trailer and didnt check the height before i backed under it. I overshot the fifth wheel and got stuck with the kingpin in front of the fifthwheel. It was pouring down rain. I do not have an air dump valve. I had no choice but to jack the trailer up..and up...and up.....

I was in that yard for over an hour. Why the hell do people have to jack trailers up so high anyway? Almost every time i pick up a trailer with this company, its high jacked....that was the first time i got stuc under it though!


What am i supposed to do at that point? I drove to where i intended to park. I couldnt find the walmart but I parked at a mall very near it. The EOBR did not recognize that I drove, however, it logs odometer readings every time i send a message. That's a violation. Truck moved 3 miles on line 2.

The only reason i can deal with this thing is because....
The DOT never asks us for log books. I've never even been pulled into a scale except for a minor permit violation.

Because werner knows that EOBR drivers have a lot of violations and is very lax on violations less than an hour.

What happens when every truck has an EOBR and we have CSA 2010? I bet all the experienced drivers will be forced out of the business and replaced with newbies who have 3 hours behind the wheel at a "school" who are willing to work for free because they're homeless because our economy is so destroyed. Infact, i was homeless for a while BECAUSE of CRST.

This industry is screwed.

 

I wish I could just quote the last 2 paragraphs of this post!
Anyway, you are exactly right! The scenario you descrbe is exactly what is going to happenwhen EOBRs and CSA 2010 come to pass because that is exactly what there are designed to do. The veteren drivers are paid too much, rookies demand less money for the same amount of work. The only way the big companies are going to maintain thier profit margin, isnt by raising rate, but by LOWERING WAGES! So all of us OVER--PAID, EXPERIENCED DRIVERS HAVE TO BE MADE TO GET OUT OF THE TRUCK so we can be replaced by the CHEAPER, inexperience, and less safe rookies!

 

Retired now but have some thoughts on the E-Logs or EOBR's. The problem I see has been expressed here before. Shippers and Recvr's have schedules to meet. Like it or not plain fact. JIT shipments have not stopped and in fact will probably become standard at some point. Todays trucking companies are not real good at logistics planning. Look at the posts here regarding picking up loads or delivering them. Every driver has encountered delays at shippers and receivers that create logistic nightmares. Someone is going to have to handle these situations besides the driver and therein is the problem. Who's gonna tell the shipper the pick up is late and tell the receiver the delivery is late. It shouldn't be the driver!! I believe EOBR's will require MORE trucks on the road, rather than fewer. It's going to require planning that few trucking companies and even fewer O/O's are really trained for. Can it be done. Sure, but it's going to take time. I'm not real sure it's going to really impact drivers that much simply because it's not something they have control over. Pick up and delivery has to be coordinated between the shipper, receiver, and the company and therein lies the REAL problem. There's a multitude of problems that's going to take a lot of time to resolve and it's not going to be easy. I think driver's may see some real benefit over the long run because they will have to be compensated for their TIME. ALL THEIR TIME. Pre-trip,fuel,post trip,loading,unloading, driving, etc and that won't be a bad thing. Even O/O's may see some real benefit in being compensated for their time. I think the EOBR requirement is still a ways down the road. I know at one time the problem with it was the ONLY way to stop it was to shut the truck off. That in itself is a problem especially in Arizona in August or Maine in Jannuary. Ok I know APU's are an alternative, BUT they are still expensive and still have their problems. They may have come up with a solution by now, but a year or so ago they hadn't. That's part of the reason EOBR's aren't already implemented. Hopefully for those drivers who will have to use them things will be better. I truly hope so but remember it's the government who's going to require them and if you want something really screwed up let them do it. I figure it's just going to be a big headache but maybe it will benefit all drivers in being compensated for their work and time. JMO

 

You can quote individual paragraphs. Just delete the portion you don't want to quote...


Now, back on topic, I totally agree with you. Also, this is happening in a lot of industries. IT(computers) is going through it bad, which is where I just came from. If your IT team is doing their job, you'll hardly know they are there. Then, when the company wants to cut cost, you are the first department cut, because you are essentially invisible. Then when things start to break again, rather than calling back the experienced talent, they call the newbies from the colleges who are coming out and willing to work for $25k/year gross. No experienced IT talent is going to work for what equates to $7/hr.

 

Please post stuff like this in multiple paragraphs.

That is what the return button is for.

It is very difficult to read this.

I mashed the enter button at the end of each sentence as an example.

I hope I don't end up crazy over this, I will try my best to forget it...

 

I don't even try to read it.