While the compliance date may have come and gone, for some the war over mandatory ELDs isn’t over. The Owner Operator Independent Driver’s Association (OOIDA) has filed an exemption request on behalf of all small carriers with clean safety records.
OOIDA is asking for an exemption for small trucking businesses who do not have a carrier safety rating of “unsatisfactory” that can provide a proven history of safe performance with no at-fault crashes.
If approved, the exemption would be retroactive to December 18th, 2017 and stay in effect for 5 years from the start date. The exemption would be up for renewal after those five years for carriers who apply and still meet the criteria.
During those five years, OOIDA claims that several issues should be resolved. According to the Federal Register, OOIDA claims that a 5-year exemption “would provide necessary time for ELD manufacturers to be fully vetted by Federal regulators, would allow small-business carriers to determine which device best fits their operation, and provide additional time for law enforcement to analyze which devices fulfill regulatory requirements.”
According to OOIDA, this exemption would allow carriers who have been operating safely using paper logs to continue doing so. Otherwise, many safe drivers who refuse to install ELDs may end up leaving the industry.
In their exemption request, OOIDA concludes that: “If the mandates forces these skilled drivers out of the industry, they will be replaced with new, inexperienced drivers that are far more likely to crash which will not achieve an equal or higher level of safety.”
You can make a public comment on OOIDA’s request to the FMCSA by clicking here.
Source: gobytrucknews, overdrive, FMCSA
Walter Jefremow says
ELD”s are not the problem. It’s the HOS that needs to be changed. ELD is just a tool to record the HOS and it take the ability to cheat away. So by allowing an exception of this rule would be the single biggest mistake. As for as the skilled drivers leaving the industry, that will never happen. Only the large companies hire inexperienced drivers and they the will hire them anyways because of the low wages they pay.
Alex Quiroga says
Agree ELD is good if they can change the 10 hours reset to 5 split to gain 5 more hours of drive time
John says
Well said. Big carriers hire new drivers as quick as they can. Recruiters jump for joy on any online application. Pay is low but they can get their driving experience with them.
Rick Mann says
That being said, it is the reason big carriers use and have been using eld’s for 20+ years! When will this country look to fix systemic problems at the root and stop bandaging it. The problem/issue? Fatigue truck drivers causing accidents? Where are the statistics confirming that the cause is not inexperience, or next to impossible deliver times, poor load rates forcing more time behind the wheel. We are considered the professionals but why are we compared to newly recruited 4week fresh drivers at big carriers. How dare we think a computer or recording device will correct inexperience or any of the other problems that plague the industry.
Rick Mann says
I don’t completely agree with you comments in its entirety. I am completely in agreement that HOS is the problem, driving time being lost due to being held extended periods at a shipper/receiver and a clock that you can’t stop once started. My disagreement with your comments are that we should have a united message and that no small truck company/owner should be arguing for or forfeiting the right to not have the government force an gps monitoring device on private property. HOS needs to be changed but if they do modify HOS why should we submit to ELDS? Let’s argue one message “ELD’s are not needed, change HOS”
Scott says
I fully agree with you on that the hours of service need to be changed for an example I’m sitting here in Washington right now I had to start my clock at 6:30 this morning local time to make my delivery after I set all weekend to reset reset my 70 sitting here 30 miles away from my first drop this morning to get my load on can’t get loaded until after 3 this afternoon my clocks already running I can’t stop it by the time I get loaded and rolling I’ll only have about two and a half two three hours left of drive time today that leaves smack-dab in the middle of rush-hour traffic but everybody trying to get home I doubt if I’ll even make it down the road 60 miles
Patrick says
It’s a crying shame that we have companies out there still wanting to cheat cause they don’t want elogs well shut down for a week get us a union instead of a bunch of people sitting around the ooida round table I haven’t seen them support drivers yet , I have seen more drivers support them selfs
And I’m a life member
Big whoopy
Jim Jonas says
Well I was a firefighter/paramedic for 20 years, now I drive a truck. It’s not the new drivers causing accidents, it’s the ones that have been out here for a long time. Argue all you want but a fact is a fact. You have no idea how many times a driver has said “I have never fallen asleep be for.” “I thought I could stop”. Three truck drivers were killed in utah for following to close. Four days ago in Idaho a truck was on a scale and rear ended by another truck. Best part HP didn’t have far to go. A driver doing this for 40 years after driving for 15 hours fell asleep and killed a family all because he didn’t want to pay a late fee. If we didn’t give them reasons to make these laws they wouldn’t do it. Fix is easy stop doing it.
Sean says
If the trucking industry would have done the right thing to begin with then there never would have been a need for additional regulations.
Too many drivers are overworked and they don’t get enough time with there families. The industry should copy the railroads and cooperate with each other just like the rail sector. That is why one will see a BNSF car on a UP train or a NS car on a BNSF train and so on. They learned how to work together more than a 100 years ago. Why can’t the trucking industry do the same?
Hardwurkindaddy says
Because the rail industry is subsidized, they can do things that don’t make money.
Bojangle Johnston says
The Rail industry is not subsidized, Amtrak is subsidized. Big difference.
Chuck says
Get ready for it. The Association of American Railroads has already approached the federal government, crying low profits and seeking subsidies.
Moving Forward says
I hear what you’re saying, Sean, but that ship has sailed and this step by OOIDA sounds like a pretty good idea at first glance. Don’t you think we should look into the fine details of this idea and maybe try to get it passed as a way to solve-the-problem?
Paul says
It’s called “tractor service”. I drive for a company that owns a fleet of tractors and trailers but we also pull other companies trailers on a daily basis.
Some companies are strictly tractor services; I’ve driven for them too.
Ed says
Well the railroad commission is setting the rules for Trucking go figure
Jerry baney says
Jbaney676@gmail.com we don’t need eld logs ,if this happens loads will be late drivers will not make money and the industry will go to hell and we have way to many regulations as it is this needs to stop or we can and will shut down this country and the prices will sky rocket on all freight and Americans can’t live truckers are the backbone of America with out trucks America stops and that’s fact so let’s get something done and do it quick
Marsh Wise says
“late drivers” as opposed to what? If you can’t do it legally, you shouldn’t do it. Drivers should not have to break the law to earn a living or make money. People opposed to ELD’s are just wanting to cheat.
Rick Mann says
It’s not about cheating, it’s about the freedom of this occupation being eroded! The freedom of moving and driving when feel good and rested is being removed. The mentality of your comments seem to be one of a company driver at work. Being held at loading docks should not subtract from drive time no matter how long you are there. Most argue that why complain you get detention pay. I don’t care for that argument most are sleeping during load/unload times so why after 3hrs are you subtracting from my drive time? I want to haul my load and go home! No more pulling over to take 3-4hr naps because the clock is ticking. Most truckers have no issue with 11hr drive time but now these devices force you to drive pretty much continuous through your 11hrs minus a 30minute break. No more pulling off the road and napping through rush hour periods and resuming afterwards refreshed from a nap.
Scott says
I agree with you on that
George K says
Spot on common sense logic!! Why doesnt FMSCA get it?!
Patrick says
Spot on , it supposed to control everyone but they keep making exceptions
The large carriers are who pushed this 💩 there should be a few live stock
Double drivers like yellow who are running time sensitive. But we all need to be payed more fix the pay and not pad your pockets . If your a company driver and receiving percentage then we should be able to see the rate fee because we know your screwing us
Sean says
Wrong some guys like to take naps. And now they can’t. They used to cheat their logs just to take a nap. Now they can’t do so. Hmmm. Sounds like a safety hazard to me. We have runs that yes you can make on an LED. We are home everyday. I would say 6 of our 18 take naps or stop for a long dinner. These drivers are realizing they can’t do so any more. They are very upset. Mostly older drivers. They say if they can’t take their time and relax accidents happen. All these drivers have perfect driving records. With 2 to 4 million miles under their belts.are you sure ELD Are the proper thing to do.
Big Cajun says
The whole reason we even have ELDs is because of the very companies of the ATA, who have lobbyists in D.C. buying off our politicians (that’s what that whole photo-op with the president back in 2017 was about).
The data shows, that per 100 trucks, ELDs have done practically “nothing” to reduce the amount of semi accidents with those mega carriers.
Those companies are losing, because they’ve been so greedy and crappy toward their drivers, that now they want to eliminate the competition. Well, not only is it unconstitutional, but this gross overstep by the FMCSA is making our highways more unsafe than they’ve ever been, and placing all of our personal and logistic information right out there for hackers to steal.
These people are incompetent and ignorant. Either they’re going to repeal this thing, or the FMCSA is going to be sued right out of operational funding.
Rick Mann says
Exactly!
Matt Adams says
Because OOIDA is funded by drivers to represent the interest of ambulance casers lawyers against the drivers. Win Win.
Louis Linn says
As a small trucking company owner that has been on electronic logs for over two years, I believe that all trucks should comply. These O/O s and other “small companies” keep rates down by taking loads that cannot be run legally and then falsifying paper logs. The cost per truck for programs that use the trucker’s phones is minimal and creates a safer and fairer environment.
Rick Mann says
There it goes again, you seem to be speaking from the position of a company driver. After reading your comment entirely I see that we are arguing the same point. You are right, It shouldn’t be considered cheating your logs to pull over and rest!
Robert says
ELD should not have any exceptions. I’m required to run them, everyone should be required. The argument that is raised makes no sense because we all have the same 11/14 rules. To argue that rule means your paper logs are illegal. That is my take on it. If you want to argue with the rules, lobby to loosen up the 14 hour rule. It’s asinine and the only way to stop the clock is 8 in the sleeper. I think time spent at the dock off duty shouldn’t count and that rule needs to be changed.
William says
ZERO ELD EXCEPTIONS !
OOIDA and its members are a bunch of crybaby losers !
clete says
I think the driver’s that have to run an eld are the loser’s, and I don’t mean that personally!!!!
George says
I think all truck drivers are losers. Been away from home, sleeping at places without any utilites. I think I have more respect to my pets than any administration to truck drivers. But thank you for delivering our favorite things 🙂
Brandy leigh says
EXACTLY… Everything you own was brought by at least 1 truck.. I accept the fact that i have a thankless job. But dont you dare say we’re loosers.. You have obviously have never been in a truck. I have ALL the comfortes of home. The next time you buy something,, you need to drop to your knees and thank your god that theres ppl like us willing to put up with ppl like you on the roads. Your input is invalid here. You have absolutely no understanding and are completely ignorant of how trucks run. I would love for ppl like you to be banned from buying anything,, no food, no clothes, nothing.. Until you understand and have more if an appreciation for what drivers do for you
Supreme says
👍🏾
Rick says
I think he ment “the losers” because of the things he stated.
Ron says
Well written but you really should have told him how you really feel😜
Bridget Kern says
Amen Brandy!
WILLIAM GREEN says
Amen
Donald Anglin says
Sounds like you’re the one that’s crying ..
Shogun says
How did you get so sharp William???? You realized long ago all trucking is the exact same, from oversize loads, agricultural loads, expedite, did you? Since you seem so sharp, ever consider a job with FMCSA or the CSA?
John F. Belcher says
Agree with everything you said until you said time at the dock shouldn’t be counted. That’s exactly where the problem is; shippers and reveivers. That time should be counted because to much time at the dock mskes a tired dtiver.
ChromeGetsYouHome says
Agree fully, John F Belcher! Not only should that time be counted, but the shippers and receivers should have to pay for that time (at least if it takes longer than a certain amount of time to get a trailer loaded/unloaded) all of the time rather than just a little bit here and there. Along with overly-burdensome CARB/EPA regs, this is the biggest issue the industry needs to address. It is unfair to the driver and often results in a carrier’s trailer being used as a shipper’s/receiver’s storage.
Tim Ryan says
It’s called detention shippers receivers are private company they don’t have to adhere to fmcsa regulations except for coercion if you can prove it.
Bri says
You got that right. These shippers and receivers should have to pay for that valuable eld timer counting down while sitting at their docks or waiting to get in one. Just yesterday, I sat at two docks 3 miles apart and cut out 6 hours of my 14. With no pay of course.
ChromeGetsYouHome says
Think there should be exemptions for certain ag, animal and food products as one other commented but don’t think fleet size should have anything to do with it. Some of the comments from people making fun of the drivers at the mega carriers for needing ELDs are the same people who should be realizing the amazing benefits from having ELDs. Rates started climbing late Q3 ’17 and part of that had to do with more and more trucks going to ELDs. The ones benefitting the most are ICs who are paid on percentage and carriers — if you’re on a fixed rate/mi + FSC, you’re possibly making less than you were before ELDs.
Donald Anglin says
HOS ..and it’s enforcement tool, the ELD, are very impractical ..and are inhibiting free market economics .. anytime the govt injects regulations on free markets ..the results are always bad ..the 14 hour rule should be eliminated ..the 11 stretched to 14 ..and the 10 reduced to a minimum of 6 ..then ..ELD ..your hearts away ..ELDs have nothing to do with safety ..it’s about the the mega carriers eliminating O/Os market influence ..
Joe says
That’s BS cause I made more money an felt better from more sleep back in the 90’s so don’t say ELD’s brought up rates
Paul says
Log it differently; your truck may be on the dock but who’s actually there taking notes on your activities?
Maybe you’re next door having a coffee, maybe you’re in your bunk sleeping… Log smarter.
Bri says
My ELD starts the 14 hour shift when I log in to it. Period. If I start at say 6am , no matter what I do or how I log anything I do … Long story short, by 8pm. I gotta take the 10 hrs off. That to me aunt right
Joseph Spradley says
Yes why does your time at the dock count as on duty, every time I’m at a dock that’s sleeper birth time. 15 min to check in 15 min to check out the rest is in the sleeper. We have a huge problem here that no one is addressing. Not all driving jobs are the same, local drivers long haul drivers City otr, I will tell every Dot officer out there that they are stupid if they think I’m stopping 45 mins from my house because I’m out of hrs.
Driver says
Pulling your box of paper, canned goods, manufactured goods, no problem…it can take you weeks to deliver after pickup no problem..you can sit at a dock for 15 hours waiting on some idiot to decide to get up and unload your truck…but you try hauling agricultural products, animals, or certain foodstuffs on your eld, you would be singing a different tune..wonder how fast a trailer of raw milk can go bad ? Or what it does to animals on a trailer with no food or water, in blistering heat or freezing cold for extended periods ?..ride your box..be happy with your eld..but, when you know not what you talk about best not to talk, thats why we got so many b/s rules now, people making them know nothing about what they are making laws about making them only because big freight companies are stuffing their pockets with $ and dictating how they want things to put smaller companies out of business
Anthony says
Amen!
Debra Schrock says
Very well said!
Dink says
Nailed it!
Jeffrey Trego says
Good response, I haul ag products,
Supreme says
Yes. Well said. Summarily on point.
Donald Mickunas says
Interesting. Why would big freight want ELDs? Especially those involved in transporting perishable foods? Looks to me as though they (perishable foods industry} are cutting off their nose despite their face. I think other motives may be in play here other than eliminating the small operators.
Chad says
Cutting off their nose “to spite their face”
Paul says
Poor people are spend thrift. It’s easier to tax them and it’s where most tax revenue comes from.
By making the largest industry in North America poor by lowering there income ceiling you create a two things:
1. A larger group of people trying to complete the same amount of work.
2. A huge group of people who will be poor and spend thrift.
What I mean by that is when you are poor 100% of your income is spent on things that are taxed but when you have extra money you invest and save.
All levels of government thrive on a poor population.
Roger says
Sounds like you’re one of the few people that really understands how the system works. Well said & succinctly on point, Paul!
Jeremy says
To shutdown the small carriers. It is obvious they think it will create a monopoly for them. That is why the ATA backs it. It is bought and paid for by the bigs.
Small Carrier says
That’s ridiculous. If one day extra in transit makes the the difference between delivering a load of good lettuce or delivering a load of rotten lettuce, then the lettuce was no good when it was loaded. A smart driver would have seen that.
Livestock haulers operate under completely different regulations. That analogy doesn’t even belong in your rhetoric.
Raw milk is never transported “days” away from a processing plant. Responsible carriers that transport raw milk already know this.
What I take from your “b/s rule” statement is that you want the right to break the law. Nobody change the hours of service rules. The only thing that changed was how you record them.
The reality is that only bottom feeder carriers, and Independent Operators that run from truckstop to truckstop chatting up every waitress in sight pretending to make money, see the ELD as problem. The rest of the sustainable, profit making industry sees the ELD as a positive.
Signed,
A Responsible Small Carrier That Makes Money Using ELDs.
Donald Anglin says
Well said my friend ..
Bri says
Your absolutely right about the ones making the rules don’t have a clue what the industry is about
Sean says
Rite on i am a milk hauler. We have 72 hour to unload the milk. After the last washout. Witch = only 42 hours to deliver. It takes 10 to 14 hours to load.
Hogwash says
You all seem to miss the simplest, basic argument here. The trucking industry has always represented the number 1 ideal of America. Freedom!!! Take away all the hogwash of this and that, and you are left with, another freedom taken away by the United States of America.
John says
If you are running legal and moving freight that is paying you real money then a ELD should not matter to you. You have the money cause you are a good business person hauling freight that pays the bills and puts some money in the bank right. If an ELD will put you under, well something else will someday. I have been in this business 50 years and I have heard many people say some new cost will put them under while running a truck that has $50,000 worth of chrome hanging on it.
Michael Grossman says
I cant agree with that gentlemen more 3/4 of you swift and prime drivers were not even thinking about truck driving when the rules were changed initially if a driver was payed as a professional and some senior drivers were invited to congress to help make some hours of service that make sense for everybody the problem is we need to park that big rig for a week or two company drivers oo everybody and get congress to listen
thomas says
as long has you company lik swift,jb,werner,us express,all the job crasher. this want it is. the gov use these to justified their action.the all in partner whit one and for all.
Bad Influence says
ELD’s aren’t the problem its the current HOS that are. I dont know what idiot even suggested that 11/14 was a good thing. The HOS need to be be overhauled AGAIN and they need to include the people who actually drive in this industry it that process. HOS need to be rolled back to the old 10/8 rule still don’t know why they changed that. They are trying to treat the trucking industry like a 9-5 job by putting a 14 hour clock on us. I’ve sat at shippers/receivers for 4-6 hours or more so until that problem is fixed the current HOS do not work.
John says
This an easy one to solve. Like I said I have been trucking 50 years and about 48 years ago I figured out how to solve this problem. Keep thinking on it and you will figure it out. And it will be easier to deal with if no one can cheat. That’s the problem we have had for years. There is actually a chance that since everyone has to have an ELD I may run more now if I want to. Only one problem I guess is if you are an O.O. and you are on mileage instead of by the load pay. Use your head.
William Finney says
Agreed
Andrew says
Agreed. Problem are not in ELD , but in current pay system.Driver getting paid by miles driving,but his schedule enforced on hourly base. Why ??
ELD is not fair in the term of paying monthly $20-$30 fee . Maybe it is not big amount of money,but it is coming out of my packet for service what we don’t needed…
Debra Schrock says
Hhere will be million and possibly billions of dollars in rotten produce. If it takes an extra day to load it and an extra day to drive it that reduces the shelf life of 7-10 days by 2 extra days. Their fresh salads wont be fresh no more..
Andrew says
As soon as it will become a big losses for insurance company’s all truck hauling produce will be granted exempt from ELD .
thomas says
they do not car man. do you get the big picture? the corp have agenda.they gone steam roll any one,thing that get in their way.they plain this 20 years ago.look at the so call driver of today.they not gone speak, or stand up for their wrights. they could not not have pull this offb20 years ago
Anthony says
The 14hr rule is what’s killing us, to much time wasted at shipper/ receivers/ traffic backups etc.I have been hard pressed to pu and del in the same day because a shipper has booked to many appt at one time or receiver has to many trucks waiting thereby pushing your appt out , if the powers that be realy wanted to fix things then start with the 14 hrs !!!!!!
Bob Hakken says
I’m an o/o in Michigan doing specialty moves and I generally get home every night. My feeling is that this law is going to have unintended consequences that will make the roads more dangerous. Since the rule went into effect, I have seen a lot more drivers speeding by a lot in order to get their stops in before the clock zeros out. There’s no forgiveness with ELD’s. If a driver gets held up at a stop or because of road conditions and runs out of time 30 miles from home, he either parks or violates. Neither of those are good options, especially if he’s driving a day cab. I feel that I’m a better judge than an ELD of whether I’m tired and my safety record backs that up. Sure, there are drivers who have abused paper logs. The real question is will the number of speeding drivers causing wrecks surpass the number of tired drivers causing wrecks. A sane person wouldn’t do 75 or 80 in a snow storm or on icy roads, but I’m seeing it every day here in Michigan since December 18.
Lester says
Your right on !!! Been there more times then not , and its not fun !!! Then you always roll up on JB passing Schneider ir England and they wave at each other and who knows what else the Turtles are doing .
Linda Merritts says
Thanks for your help but now that I am in debt 5,500 for ELD’s and 340 dollars a month to track them it is coming a little to late. This has put a hardship on Owner Operaters and small business to no aval. Anytime Government gets in the way you may as well throw in the towel.
Lester says
and all that money you put out for ELD’S ,your going to write off on your taxes , so how is that putting you in a cash crunch ??? Guess you will have to go back to brewing your coffee instead of your $5 Starbucks moca .
Orlando says
I’m a owner / driver of a small trucking company and wasted over $1000 on the eld units and none of them working properly. If the government wanted us to use this eld bullshit they should of provided these unit instead of having all this companies make this crap that are not working properly. At the end of the day we have to go back to paperlog because of they messing up big. I’m guessing there is elds that are working prperly but they cost a lot more and only big trucking company’s could afford it.
Steve says
All laws are put in place due to past crimes committed. If those crimes weren’t committed there would be no need for those laws.
The trucking industry has been under fire for years due to drivers breaking laws regarding log books, either by their own doing, or by the insistence of the carriers.
Had the drivers years ago simply refused to break those laws we wouldn’t have the issue we do today. Then there are the greedy drivers who wanted to make more money so they kept more than one logbook.
If drivers had of done the right thing from the beginning, pay would have had to come up in order to hire more drivers to deliver the freight that wouldn’t have moved because the illegal drivers wouldn’t have been moving it. We could have been making more money without having the pressure of “pushing” the logbooks.
We have done this to ourselves, and now that we have this driver shortage we see how quickly driver pay has gone up. Brand new CDL holders are being hired at a rate greater than what an experienced driver was making only five years ago.
ELDs make sense, and cents per mile. Driver pay has gone up. Companies have a VERY difficult time “asking” you to fudge on your hours, so you can simply drive legally and make a decent living. I don’t understand the resistance to the change, other than some people just don’t like change.
Had drivers and companies done the right thing years ago we wouldn’t have this issue, but they didn’t. Suck it up. Enjoy the BENEFITS, higher pay, required breaks (at least you CAN take one now!), shorter days, and if you would use an ELD you might find that you actually have a few more minutes to drive at the end of the week.
Supreme says
No sir brother. You, me, drivers have not caused this to ourselves.
Don’t believe that for a minute.
All facts you state are true but not significant enough for these draconian laws.
Current stats show the ELDs are the one in majority of accidents.
And if you know what I know from some of these tech guys, some eld companies are still getting around the ELDs with them installed.
Yes sir.
Knowledge is power brother.
They just want control.
Brenda says
It was safer out here back in the day when (some drivers not all) drivers were on drugs tban what it is out there now days
Supreme says
👍🏾
Supreme says
But I appreciate your input Steve.
We may disagree on what’s going on but at least you took the time to write your opinion here.
Many won’t write here or to their local and federal authorities about this.
So let’s keep the dialogue going and momentum and activism as much as possible about this.
FYI
I’m out of my truck as of the 18th of December.
Nope. Last cowboy 🤠 parked.
Clean 10 year driving history.
Rigging only work now.
Far more money than my flatbed and no ELDs.
Get off, go to gym, rest at night.
But love trucking.
Will dabble in it in the future if they reverse these mandates and HOS rules.
YES for small carriers says
Small carries with good safety score should be exempt! The cost of ELD for small carriers is a burden. We had to replace original ELD’s and had to order new ones form another company and are still struggling. While all of that is being done, drivers (o/o) are off the road. Small carriers do not make money on quantity but rather quality. If not exempt, something must be changed like 14 hrs rule..or the small guys will be eaten-there is simply not enough revenue to keep going. If we are all left at the mercy of big guys, we all know what that’s like…Besides that, it will take time for market, shippers/receivers to adjust. Having small carriers exempt for some time would certainly help the whole ELD idea.
Orville L Martini Jr says
The HOS rule is the main problem , The 14 hour rule mainly many drivers time is killed at a dock , (Shippers and Receivers are not going to change there is no pressure on them to due so.) 11 hours of drive time is fine if you caint make a living on that then there is something wrong with the way you are doing it or who you pull for , but to many times after sitting at a dock for hours on end you end up with little drive time left, this is what needs to change.
Yogi says
For God’s sake, let it go. Stop wasting your members hard earned money. Funnel your efforts to more important issues. Obviously the ELD is showing the inefficiencies of the HoS rules. Channel your efforts towards reinstating the split sleeper berth rule, and loosening the personal conveyance parameters.
Lloyd Smith says
The hours of service combined with ELD’s is one the most dangerous things i have ever seen. Get rid of it
Douglas Kirk says
Log books are crap….it is nobodys business where I am or when. Safety is not , and never has been, a line on a piece of paper. It is what you do behind the wheel. I know from experience that if you sleep when you’re tired and drive when you aren’t, then the problem is solved. This all comes down to the do-gooders who have nothing better to do than stick their gigantic noses into other peoples’ business. My proposal is throw out the 8 day garbage, allow 11 hours driving every day, and forget about the rest of it….especially the 14 hour limit. In case you wonder, I have had a commercial license since 1977 and have over 6 million miles in a truck
Donald Anglin says
Amen ..
Andrew says
Bravo. My license start 1985 and I have same feeling as you are.
Singh says
Eld. R. It good idea. Because when we r driving on single hwy and eld days to stop in 10 mins but it’s hard to find a parking. Specially in winter it happened with me and then we need to speed up. And when we speed it’s more risky to have accident so small trucking co. Like one or 2 trucks should be exempted
Martin O says
I have been a truck driver for 31 years. Drove for 4 places from age 19 to 32, only had a small issue at 1 of the 4 with unsafe practices. Then 18 years ago I bought my own truck and trailers, grew that into my business today which has 24 trucks and 31 trailers. I went to electronic logs a long time ago because they solve a lot of problems and BS.
Impossible to lie and write a fictional story in a log book.
My trucks are also all GPS tracked so i can see where they are, how fast they are going and more.
They also all have dash cameras so if they are in an accident its not he said/she said. If my truck is in an accident there is proof of how fast it was going at the time, and if a front end collision its also on camera. A woman who claimed my truck was going to fast and crossed the center lane side swiping her, was found 100% in the wrong when i had proof that it was her who crossed the double yellow center line and collided with my truck, and my truck was doing under the posted speed limit. It also shows my driver attempting to swerve and miss her when she came into his lane. Had he not done so it would have been a head on instead of side swipe. She would be dead then, not minor injuries.
I love technology like Electronic Log Devices, Dash Cams, GPS trackers etc.
What I hate is DEF so if the industry wants to fight something then fight mandatory use of DEF which causes about 90% of break downs, and is a pain in the butt….and freezes to easily.
Safety DEPUTY says
We are running heavy repair shop in fontana, Ca. After the ELD affecting and enforced, last 7 days we got requested by carrier and driver to unlock the speed limit very unlikely. Before, this specific unlock we would said we do maybe +-20 truck per year, now last 10 days we alread done +-10 truck already. I asked why, they said they can not lossing the mileage just simple like that.
So, everyone, dont be supprising if you on the interstate and seeing truck pushing over speed limit or reaching max speed limit, i feel very bad for this regulation, you know what gonna happend, stay fact, look fact.
Drive safe everyone.
Gary says
I have got to say by reading some of these comments, there is some really stupid steering wheel holders out here now days, course that’s nothing new because I see it every day. Probably a lot of these comments are from 4 wheeler drivers, that would make more sense. I have been on paper logs for 37 years, never a wreck, violation, cargo claim, and my CSA score is all 0’s. Why? because I do what I am suppose to do, don’t push myself, go to sleep when I’m tired, Just put new ELD in truck month ago and have already lost over $5000. because ELD started the second that my truck moved from when the customer opened the gate and i have to pull all the way to the end of the building. DOT states you do not have to log driving if you stay in the same city. So I just drove a half mile on the same piece of property and wasted about 3 hours on my 14 hours that should not have happened according to DOT rules. So I think that $5000. should be write off at the end off the year, and looks like its fixing to be more when I do my profit and loss statement.
Robert says
The most feared words in the country: “We’re the government and we are here to help you.”
Eddie says
There is no way this is going to go through. This whole ELD thing has about as much to do with safety as Obama Care has to do with healthcare. It’s all about govt control. They want to be able to watch and control our every move. Tell us when to sleep, how long to sleep, when to eat, when to break, everything. It’s all about Big Brother.
Kmul says
Everyone the SAME! None or All! End of Story!!!
Jim Bob says
We all know the reason why private truckers don’t want elds.
I use one and yes they are a pain in the ass sometimes. The industry sucks just like every other industry people making rules that don’t do the jobs they are regulating. While in the background they are doing drugs doing illegal things and when they get caught oh its not my fault. Pretty soon the govt and groups will be telling you when to sleep eat and shit. Id rather be in jail at least you know the rules
Robert says
There is a segment of people that are in the cross-hairs of this broad-brush law that the bills originators never took into consideration. (Or maybe they did when they counted how many there are out there.) That is the thousands of people who use a motorhome to travel to and from places in the country to things like sportsman racing, camping, car shows, horse shows or even just seeing this gorgeous nation of ours. It appears any RV with or without a trailer with a total weight of 26,001 lbs is subject to this law. A lot motorhomes will weigh in over that limit already and if you’re pulling a trailer behind it you’re sitting duck. Do you have a CDL? What are you hauling in that trailer? Oh its a 1967 Camaro? What you doing with it?? BIG GOVERNMENT under the last administration got this crap started. Maybe the new administration can turn this around too? It might take an EO depending on how many alligators are in the SWAMP.
Wesley Cory says
ELD’S are not the problem. The 14 hour rule is the problem. Do away with the 14 rule will solve many of the logging problems. If you have to cheat on your logs to make any money, then your in the wrong profession to begin with. Been on ELD’s for years and only thing I have a problem with is the 14 hour rule.
Doorag Jenkins says
So glad ill never have to touch a paper log again — been running eld for 3 years now at ups – 37 an hour at least 1 hour ot everyday usually 2 to 4 — home every night. Get out of your crappy jobs and find a better company or revamp your o/o business — it all comes down to money – if you’re making an amount to where you need to complain about eld then maybe you need to seek employment elsewhere or look at different/better options for your o/o business — bunch of whining babies that aren’t motivated or smart enough to make any moves or changes to upgrade their trucking position or status and stay stuck in shit jobs complaining their whole lives — sacrifices that you may not like often have to be made in order to move ahead in life – too many scared or ignorant drivers simply don’t understand that, don’t wanna accept it, or just want everything handed to them on a damn platter — paper logs ??? The 80s are over boys grow the hell up, retire, or go work at a warehouse or fast food establishment
John says
ELDs cost as low as $20/month, plug it the computer port, and run on smart phones. How can these things be a burden on small carriers or owner operators? Stop your whining. Nobody wants to work more than 14 hours a day or 70 hours a week. Get a life !
Vubao Hoang says
Hi all..
All i wanna say is:
I am human, i am not a robot…. my body’s physic and my mental can’t be control by clock… eld is wrong… hos is wrong…
I was born in the wrongtime.. there are alot of greedy than good people now aday…
All i can do is thanks god i survive another day… and pray for next day..
Cool Classic says
Everyone has choices and you chose to work for a company that has ELD. You run hard and have no input on 10speed it automatic. Smh hush Lil company guys the grown men are handling business….. please stay inside the company truck with your company attire on. ELD should be a choice!!!!
Rash logistics says
Hi
Why you guys are wasting your time .
What do think who spent billions of dollars to make trillions of dollars profit. He allows to stop ELD . Forget about it. find the solution how can run business in the future.
In next 3 month prices will increase @ 300 percent for everything .
So think about future.
Hogwash says
You all seem to miss the simplest, basic argument here. The trucking industry has always represented the number 1 ideal of America. Freedom!!! Take away all the hogwash of this and that, and you are left with, another freedom taken away by the United States of America.
George says
The eld’s aren’t going away. The planning and implementation was extensive. Corporations and lobbiest paid our wonderful government representatives, too implement this cash cow. Now every truck with a computer pays for the eld and service, monthly. They are laughing at you bickering drivers, all the way to the bank. The next big thing is driverless trucks, believe it. Stand up
Kevin says
@Walter Jefremow…You are wrong after 40 years driving I am leaving the industry because of ELD’s and all the new regulations that go with it. Can assure that many of my “brothers” are leaving for the same reason. We are fed up with regulation after regulation change on top of change by pencil pushers with no end in sight
RedW9 says
There are many different parts to this industry and many different individuals who work in it. This is NOT a one size fits all fix and never has been whether you are talking about eld’s or paper logs. Ive been in this industry for 24 years now and I can tell you that on any given day I could be ready to roll for another 11 hours after 11 hours of driving. Yet any other day I could leave home after 11 hours of sleep and be ready for a nap after 2 hours of driving. We are all adults and should know our limitations. We should all want to make a good living without being so greedy we push to hard. The government lumping us all into the same category is not going to fix stupid. It just makes us feel like Big Brother is ALWAYS watching us. And the millions of stupid people who dont know when to say when can be blamed for this and all other “one size fits all” laws. My advice is to teach your kids. And get the stupid people to stop reproducing at such an alarming rate. Use your head and common sense and know when to rest and when you can push a little harder. Use defensive driving skills and get the number of accidents down each year and maybe the will stop imposing so many such laws on us….
Eric Nelson says
We believe that the ELD mandate has nothing and I mean nothing to do with safety, we also believe that there was no reason for it, We have six owner operators wrking for us , we only run overuse Loads on lowboys safety rating is in the 20s ,, please repeal!
Dwayne Henry says
I put for years of my life into the service of this Great Nation so people wouldn’t have to live under the eye of the government 24/7! Why should we be subject to rules that were mandated originally as a punishment because a large company couldn’t figure out how to write a legal log? All other big companies followed suit because they couldn’t trust their drivers to deliver a timely, safe, and legal load, as well as restricting the speed! Because of this they couldn’t compete in the markets so as a result they pushed it on everybody else! Any and all information extracted from that computer should be considered self incriminating evidence and therefore null and void in the court of law unless it is pulled with a warrant looking for specifics that are written on the warrant and signed by a judge in each and every roadside or DOT inspection! Otherwise mandate ELDs for all government vehicles! ( Federal, State, and Local) Maybe the general population would like to know who’s speeding, working past their hours, not taking mandatory breaks, and using personal conveyance to the tune of the taxpayer! Welcome to the world of communism!
claude heck says
what happened to the law that states the govt can not force you to buy anything ? this is nothing more than forcing the trucks to keeping records that can be used against the driver. all we hear is truck safety , but when you look at the facts, 75 percent of car – truck accidents, are caused by the car .
Ken says
You remember when resident OBLOWME forced you to buy health insurance ? president is already been set.
Brian Schroeder says
Pretty scary reading all these company driver comments. Looks like the sheep are ready for the slaughterhouse…..by the way company man I can buy your ass 10 times over with or without an ELD in my truck. The roads are very dangerous from the ELD mandate, not just company trucks making up time in low speed areas anymore. Increase your life insurance people!!
Casey says
Cry babies just crying because they can’t cheat. Everyone said it was going to get thrown out and it didn’t. Deal with it. If you ran legal it would not be an Issue. Quit trying to get elogs thrown out and focus on the real problems. Untrained drivers and the hours of service. I have never in 18 years seen so many drivers that can’t back up or drive.
no limit says
I just started on the eld in october and it is unsafe to me, it cost me over half of my income. I have 15 years so far from coast to coast under my belt. I have never been in a wreck or log violation. The problem is 1st truckers are not united together anymore, we are underpaid with high fuel prices,we lose to much sitting at docks,traffic,and so many other minor things that subtract from your drive time.I talk a lot of drivers and all say I can not sleep 10 hours at home so how can I sleep 10 hours in a truck? The doctor say 8 hours a sleep daily but dot say 10 please explain.I say if we forced to keep eld 13 hours drive 3 hours on duty 8 hours to sleep.I think that is more reasonable.
dusty says
its not us old guys that cause it at jonas it the new guys that want to tail gate u and drive stupid and the ones thatbdont know their limitations that why i dont haul cheap frieght if it dont deal with livestock it dont go on my truck it takes a good driver to haul it and have more common sense than some of these new guys theybare just pay check drivers and not a real truck driver
Rikki Simmons says
I completely agree with this! My husband has been an OTR deiver for 21 years. Completely accident free!! ELDs should only pertain to any driver who had a certain amount of points on his MVR. it is unfair to punish an honest, safe and hard working driver, because some inexperienced drivers wreck and kill people. Spilt the 10 HOS. do something!! Companies like Swift should be shut down. Period. They are the most unsafe carrier out there. Mom and Pop companies also should be expempt from this law also. I agree with a lot of y’all said. The truck driver now days is looked down on and treated very very poorly. Everyone wants their freight but no one wants to thank the driver. Now here we are. These guys trying to WORK a and fred their families are on a clock. So their mind set is now “I only have 4 hours left to get here. I must get there. The fact is a lot of carriers will not pay a driver if a load is not delivered on their payroll cut off date. These law makers need to take a week and roll out on the road with these hard working drivers and get a first hand look at their life. It’s just like a safety man at a rig sight. “I’ve never done this with my hands myself but my text book says this is the right way”. Hey hands on before y’all start changing laws that harshly effects people livelihood and income. I am a truckers Wife and my husband has never had a ticket, log book violation nor an accident in his 20 plus heats driving. And he runs all over the US.