More on Swift E-Logs

yea i cant seem to log in either. isnt your password the last 4 of your social?

I just figured it out! make sure you put "d" in front of your driver code

 

That worked.

Thanks.

 

As if I needed any more reasons to refuse the QC being attached to my dash.

One of our guys was in Seattle traffic in the center lane when his QC mount failed. The QC fell down onto the brake knobs, knocking them out and setting his brakes. He did everything he could to keep the truck and fully loaded trailer straight and managed to not have a crash as a result of this. Cars had to make emergency evasive maneuvers around him and luckily, he was not being tailgated by someone. The brake knobs do not activate the brake lights.

He's saying he's happy he didn't hurt anyone. Good driver. Me? I'm happy for that, too, but I'm more happy he's okay.

And I am even more firmly set against having that thing hanging off my dash. Regardless of where the mounting points are located. (In the cubby.)

 

Traveling down I15 yesterday were some pretty rough patches, I was watching the elogs unit bouncing pretty hard on the mount wondering when it was going to fall off.

I gotta say I'm very soured on the whole elogs trick because none of the things they told us they are good for are coming true like the planners being able to see our available hours and plan us accordingly.
Just a little while ago I sent in mac 30 and it replied that I have not sent in my last 4 days worth of hours. That is stupid. Also got a message that my PTA would be set out to allow for my break which ended several hours ago.

The elogs are proving to be of very little benefit to the Swift driver other than 100% compliance. I don't see how it will help Swift be a better trucking company if they (planners) don't use it as intended and plan the trucks according to hours available.

 

It takes time to get the entire organization on the same track. At my carrier we started with one dispatch board to iron-out as many wrinkles as possible. When they started moving everyone over, we still had to QC our hours in for some time. My take on it is that until they get a large enough fraction (say 90%) on elogs, there is too much disruption in the planning/dispatch end of things to make it worthwhile. Then there is training the office staff, getting them enough experience to make it work, etc. Until then, it is a pain on for the drivers to deal with it.

Have some patience - it will probably take most of this year to get it all on track. I can say since my entire carrier switched, plus enough "gettin' used to it time" has passed, that the advantages posited for the elog switch are happenning here.

 

The biggest problem over at Prime was getting Sales on board with the idea that we not only had elogs, but also didn't have 72mph trucks any more. They continued to book loads like we still had a higher speed with fudge-able (hijacker's license) logs.

 

That's part of the "gettin' used to it" period. They are just people in sales/planning/dispatch, and like everyone else they have a learning curve too. Part of their learning curve is understanding that there is very little elastic left in the ol' envelope - you can't push it out very far to make things work now. There is also getting used to the greater amount of data available to them, and how to both understand and apply it. Then there is the expectation that as soon as one has converted to elogs, the magic starts - which of course, it doesn't.

Elogs doesn't solve all problems. IMO, you have to have a greater understanding of the HOS and how they apply to each load under elogs to make it all work - no more tearing out a page and rearranging things to make it work. Its still up to the driver to analyze his hours and the load requirements, the legal restrictions placed on operations - and then either accept or reject the load.

 

Didn't plan on comment on this elog but I might as well, elog is B.S. it CANNOT stop a driver from falsify the log, You can edit line 1, 2 and 4 how is elog going to stop that? Now to line 3. Owner can go to line 5 and drive the truck, how is elog going to stop that?
You get to some customers that take for ever to load or unload, you run out of hrs and they tell you, you can't stay there, what are you going to do
1. Pay to get truck tow
2. Pull off the lot park on the street (swift policy you cannot park on the street)
3. Drive somewhere safe (use the exception, can only use it 1 time in a 7 day period)
4. Drive somewhere safe (get a log violation)
5. Ask if you can drop the trl and come back after your break and pick it up (owner drive on line 5 to safe haven.

option 5 a company driver don't have that option If they are in that situation.

Their bigger problems that need to fix instead of giving us these elogs. How about paying us for ALL HOURS WORK. Drop & hook, pre trip, sweeping out the trl etc. I'm working right? A lot less drivers would falsefy the log to make more money. (They cannot possible get all driver to stop patching the log. That's impossible?)

 

It is by design to get us to hustle on the little things like drop/hook, sweeping, checking/in/out etc so we can drive more which is the only thing we get paid for aside from an occasional bone like detention pay, breakdown, layover, hazmat, stop pay etc.

Some drivers take it to the extreme by taking and dropping trailers with failed lights, flat tires, air leaks, poor brakes, not sweeping them, dropping them with the landing gear still 4 inches off the ground because they didn't want to take that extra 14 seconds to crank it in contact with the ground. So the next driver loses time (money) having to get these things fixed. The carrier suffers too, because they have to absorb the poor performance of a few drivers in the way of extra fines and repairs that are done later rather than sooner, so in turn drivers suffer too from lower pay that they would normally get if 100% of the drivers were professional and took care of the equipment such that it was productive rather than broken down ie. earning money for the company which could then share the bounty with the professional drivers.

 

Oh, boy...here we go with the need to be paid for every single five minute job you do. Well, it's incorporated into your mileage pay. It is expected you will drop a clean, operational trailer. It's part of your job! What's next? You want $30/hour to do your PTIs? Fuel?