Why CSA 2010 and E-Logs are a good thing.

Why would someone spend the weekend an hour away from the house, if they didn't want to? Leave the truck set at the truckstop and have a family member shuttle you home and back, or even a taxicab.

 

My logbook has little to do with my revenue, but, I figured out many years ago to stay away from mileage pay.

 

Our E-logs only do one thing, automatically. That is record your driving time, nothing else. All other inputs are done manually, by the driver. Once the truck moves, within the parameters set, your clock starts for your driving limits, only your driving limits.
Many of us, in this country, don't have dispatchers. I don't, I quit playing those games many years ago.

 

there's 24 hours in a day. and at the end of the day. you work the same amount of hours. no matter how you slice it and dice it.

but what you do. in all reality is give yourself AND the dot man a headache. i feel sorry for them dot officers that have to interpret SOME OF THE LOGS YOU GUYS DO. i can see why you all get shut down for 10. who the heck wants to spend all day trying to figure out one page.

keep it short, sweet, plain, and simple. dot loves when he can look at 8 days logs in 5 seconds.

 

For example if you had a load of computer chips worth a few million you wouldn't be allowed abandon the truck, not here anyway or it would be cleaned out when u get back!

 

The amount of revenue should have nothing to do with whether on an elog or not. It is all about planning. If loads are planned and booked for times correctly, then the elog has nothing to do with anything. And preplanning the next load as well. That is primarily why I am able to do well with an elog on board. I have exceeded the previous years revenue each of the last 3 years. And based on results thus far this year, I am on target to break $200K in revenue this year. And still on an Elog. For what I do, the customers I service, etc, then an Elog is fine and is a real time saver and aids in record keeping for compliance. There is always an operation out there that this would not be the case. But for most general freight dry box and refer operations, it is doable and only requires some modification to the day to day operations to make it all work. To work well, it requires that operations planners do their jobs more efficiently and plan/book/schedule loads better, and not put off so much on the driver. An Elog is good for one thing... it will show where the inefficiency is. Then it is up to people to correct those inefficiencies and make the operation better.

I have contended all along that an Elog mandate thing across the board will be a cause of some real grief and should not be implemented. But the elog is not the problem, it is just a tool. The HOS in general does not have the flexibility built in that would address the broad needs of the various aspects of trucking. The Elog just records data. The HOS regulations are a major problem. But also a big problem is the operations of various carriers are using old school methodologies to get the job done. They need to get into the 21st century. Unfortunately, the driver is the one that has to deal up front with things when this all comes unravelled and is expected to pick up the slack from those that can't seem to do their job well. But drivers, also, are not as pure as the wind driven snow in this regard. Planners and operations people can only do so much, and the driver has to be a reliable part of the equation. It is all a team effort and until everyone thinks like a team and acts like a team, then it will be no different than watching a chinese fire drill at a stop light.

 

Not every option works in all situations.

 

Very good post.

 

some dry box and yes reefer.

flatbed and tank. nu uh. they work bankers hours. not around the clock like reefers.

 

HOS rules provide a necessary structure within which drivers may operate safely, but there must be flexibility to accommodate varying circumstance and individual drivers' unique and varying physical capabilities and limitations. When I ran paper logs, I fudged a mite--generally not to make more money--but simply to rest when needed and maximize my productivity when my body was good to go. Now that I am on e-logs, I am indeed 100% compliant, but I am often sitting when I couldn't possibly sleep and running when I need to be in the sleeper. I still get the miles, but never have I been as tired as much of the time. E-logs have not reduced my income, just my quality of life on the road--and, more importantly, the level of safety in my operation.