E-LOGS

You haven't run across a DOT bear that calls your last fuel stop, and asks the register clerk to look that up then? It may not print on the receipt, but it's date and time-stamped in their computer.

They already have a way to do that on compliance audits... they don't want any stinking paper! They just match the electronic location tabs up to your logbook - and they'd best match. Thats just one of the reasons my carrier went to elogs... everything they ask for on a compliance audit now is just the electronic data - nothing more, nothing less! You guys really don't think they're pushing for EOBRs/elogs just for the harrassment value, now do ya?

 

I guess my biggest problem is what you are supposed to do when you are chased off a customers property after you are out of hours. I had this happen once with e-logs and the closest truckstop was 2 hours away. Since I have a personal rule that I dont do 10 hour breaks along the side of the road, or in some empty parking lot where there are no bathrooms or place to eat, I drove until I got to the next truckstop and told dispatch to call it whatever they want and fix it as best they could. Im sorry, my health and safety comes first. Even jail cells have toilets...

 

No I have never had one call to check. And what you are talking about is the information that is easily available for a safety audit or when a company is performing checks on log books. And while this is available on a roadside inspection, it is not an easy thing to do.
If we are just talking about implementing a system that will make it harder for people to falsify logs then there are easier and cheaper ways to do this.
With very little discussion or debate these devices got implemented by requiring companies with poor safety track records and log violations to implement them. Wasn’t hard to make happen as these companies had not room to fight. But these companies are big and have learned that these devices are costly (despite what some will tell you), add another complicated maintenance issue, increase overhead and have done nothing to address the issue they are intended to address.
So they go to the ATA and support an industry wide adoption. Is it not interesting that companies that have these installed or are being forced to install them are supporting an industry wide implementation.

 

Yup... these scenarios are what make the "one size fits all" solutions unworkable. I can't count the number of times where I've had multi-hour delays at coolers... even with an appointment. The problem isn't a delay up to two-hours, but between two and eight hours. Especially if you have a time-stamped BoL, which is the case most of the time with produce.

 

I Never Told you anything About how you run. I do know some people are running legal and you may be one of them. I sure don't know.
I am making blanket generalization of today's industry. They are 3 types of drivers today.

1. The Legal Ones that try to be within the HOS rules all the time

2. The fudging kind of driver that does a little off the rules but not by much and this is usually for his convenience not for gaining more miles.

3. The outlaw. The ones that goes on vacation the first week of June because the DOT is out everywhere.
The ones that complains all the time about the HOS but never even tried to make it work


And Thank you, I am flattered that you are spending your precious time on telling how hypocrit I am.

Secondly, and I should maybe have been more explicit.
I called my safety department regarding this issue the next day. Qualcomm couldn't remove the 5min period minimum but they did update the mileage before going into drive. Now All my company QC are set to kick in Drive after 0.7mi or 7mph all because of me.

How's that to be honest.

You talk about Shipper detention, I am aware of this. About once a quarter , I get detained 6+ hrs and have to leave the property.
I simply explain it on the Logs ( paper or ELOG ) and Go on my way to a safe place to park.

2 year ago, I even got my logs looked at by the Man in the rest area in Cambridge, OH. He just wanted to look at my Log and saw that I drove over my 14hr the day before . I never asked any questions and let me go. Why, I don't know but I guess because I am honest and I don't falsify Federal Documents like so many other do.

How's that for flexibility. But with today's budget situation, I don't think it that will go well but I'll still log it as I do.

Under the CSA, a log book falsification counts a lot more than a simple 15min log book violation.

Better trip planning what will help you succeed with the EOBR's.
There is going to be hiccups but that doesn't means they will happen everyday. I do run 470mi on average per day and that's enough for me to make a decent living. On 2 days trip , I can run 620mi in 1 day, all legal.


I worked along with my company and our Shippers to educate them and to understand the HOS rules. Amazingly , their response was very good and are now very accommodating but There will always be the exception and those exceptions will find it harder to find truck willing to come load at their plant.


Like you said in a previous post, I want to work less and get paid more. Everybody wants that. But before we get our raises , we have to get rid of the one that keep those rates low and EOBR's would be a good method to get rid of them.

Another good thing about ELOG , is the now the FMCSA will receive accurate data on driving times and may rethink the HOS rules if the Shippers cannot find enough trucks for their loads and start lobbying WITH the drivers for more flexibility.

 

Agreed but they are now supporting the mandate because they do not want to loose their customers by telling them they cannot run the loads because they are out of hours and the next guy will p/u and deliver the loads because he can "fudge" his logbook.

All that time, those customers believed we ran their loads legal all the time.

Most Shippers today care about rates and delivery promises. very few, the serious ones, start looking at the SMS data to allow a carrier to haul their freight but not all do that today.

That's same SMS data is probably what triggered some Carrier to voluntary implement EOBR if their CSA score on Driver fatigue is close the trigger point.

 

Had a number of folks tell me that Ohio DOT had done this to veryify paper log entries last year. However, none of this is the point...

First there is practically zero maintenance on these systems... its a software based system, and you just swap the components.

Second, many companies already use QualComm - it's basically just turning on some software.

Third, there are only a handful of companies who installed these units under the "bad actor" rule.

Fourth, most companies have gone to elogs in order to deal with compliance issues under CSA. The majority have realized savings through the increased utilization and increased visibility of driver availability in the load planning function.

Fifth, as far as catching log falsification - this couldn't be easier for the FMCSA. Either your stuff matches your GPS location or it doesn't. This is an automated process.

While I agree, the cost of installing this equipment is difficult for the individual owner-operator to bear, as time goes on the costs will go down. Personally, I was fine with paper logs, and now that I'm on elogs - its not really much different.

 

Simple solution. Go to OFF DUTY DRIVING and go where you want. Doesn't interfere with any part of a 10 hr break, and it is perfectly legal. You could have started the break at the customer when you were being unloaded, then drove off duty to where you were comfortable with no interuption to the break, and complete your break there. I use this method every once in a while when I can't finish the break at the customer. Never have called safety to get them to correct anything. There was nothing to correct. Just about every EOBR I have ever seen has a OFF DUTY DRIVING option in it somewhere. Again, most all the scenarios being brought up are unfounded and only an illusion to those that have never used an EOBR, or just don't understand how to use it if they got one.

If you are not doing anything related to hauling or for the company, you can drive OFF DUTY to do a lot of things. I suppose the company drivers may have some limits placed on them doing this by their company. My carrier doesn't care where I drive off duty as long as I am not doing anything related to freight movement and deadheading to a load. Heck, I have gone off duty when I got home, and then bobtailed off duty to town to pick up some things. Total trip by the time I did all my running around was over 90 miles. Used the truck because the wife was using the personal vehicle to take care of some business of her own. Not a word about it from the company and it didn't affect my 34 hr reset.

Of course, for those that are limited to these things by their company, having a refrigerator stocked, canned goods, and a heater to heat food up is an option. And one of those small camping sized porta pots work in a pinch. There are reasonable solutions. I never am without basic essentials and I can watch movies and TV shows on my laptop. Use my iPhone for internet and tether the laptop in and get online. It really doesn't matter where I take my breaks. I learned to overcome those obstacles many, many moons ago.

 

You have a rather high view of the buearocracy don't you? I learned after working in the government for 13 years that they could really care less about such things. They have their own ideas on how the world works and the facts are not going to get in their way. Lobbying only works when it can be shown that the politician that is being lobbied will benefit in some way, most financial. Common sense is something that will not be tolerated in a government environment.

 

There are some issues with Elogs to be sure, but I just had an orientation instructor that has never used Elogs, never managed drivers, tell an entire class that there are all kinds of issues with running them. So I went from 6 drivers wanting to go on Elogs on Tuesday night to 1 driver wanting to go on them as of Wednesday because some uninformed jack... decided that he knows best. Heaven forbid he actually know what he's talking about. Instead he just made up a bunch of scenarios that made it sound like Elogs will make you go broke. Good job orientation instructor, no wonder our Fatigued Driving basic is 85%!