paper log or electronic logs?

I think in the future the government will be requiring everyone to run Elogs. This is a scary thought from the article: "An ELD would track latitude and longitude, log engine hours and odometer readings. It would record location every 60 minutes and report whether the engine is on or off. This could be accomplished through satellite or land-based tracking. GPS could be used but would not be mandated." You would not be able to cheat and be hundred of miles down the road further than what you recorded.

You will be constantly monitored. And also stated: "Bowley points out that language in the highway law known as MAP-21, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, calls for ELDs that record not only a driver’s hours of service but also record-of-duty status, known as RODS. "

One thing about the Elogs, dispatch cannot harass you about taking a load when you don't have the hours to legally do it, like when you are on paper logs. I think this has helped a lot of drivers who incurred dispatchers who would do this, now it is on the companies back to make sure the load can be done.

If they go further with the mandates, which I am sure they will they can't control the people if they don't know where they really are at, it will harm the parameters of the trucks to move a short distance without being on duty. It will further hamper drivers in a more constrained little box jail.

 

First of all you can work as long as you want.

You just cannot drive a commercial vehicle on a public road while tired. If the government did not set some limits stupid companies would push stupid drivers to run all loads in the shortest time possible. Drivers and companies would all have to compete to meet stupid expectations; All loads would be expected to be run overnight or less. The HOS is just like the speed limit: a reasonable expectation of safe limit. People act like they are so onerous that it is impossible to move freight with a few simple rules.

 

Anything that man creates can be cheat by someone else. That is the facts. No one has to worry about trucks driving down the road with out drivers as someone would hack the system and cause a giant wreck.

Two me, there are 2 advantages with E logs. Fuel taxes have to be paid to the various states where the truck drives. E logs also record which state you are in and how many miles you drive in those states. If you are running paper logs you have to keep track of your mileage and when you enter and exit a state. So there are other things that go on with the e logging device other then HOS.

But my number one reason is that paper logs require someone to be able to write in a matter where you can actually figure out what the h el l they have written. My handwriting is bad but at least it was something that was taught in school. I have tried to help students fill out a log book and can not read anything they have written.

The expense of installing e log equipment is the main downside of E logs. However, more and more companies are going to smart phone apps like Big Road for e logging.

I read 1984 and it scared me. Others read it and thought what a good idea.

 

One of these days I am going to have to read that.

 

E log you can cheat was well you can log online and edit your log... If you get in good with your dispatcher if you work for a company that has e log thy can edit your log as well. Have done it. And have had it done for me. PeopleNET was the e log that dispatch would edit for me with tank star

 

Yea thats why guys on elogs with their 62 mph trucks are running that speed no matter what the speed limit is and any when else notice lately all the truck accidents guarantee some were because of the running clock(have to hurry before my hours run out)

 

I hate elogs tonight lol...I drove 750 today...but im no where near tired I can go aleast another 400....but those days are long gone....miss paper logs on nights like this....but im lazy so I love elogs

 

Hi Roadmedic, I saw the movie and it was VERY disturbing to me, and it was written in 1948. All I know, my union job had e-logs and it was fine for standard everyday routes I had, but when I was an O/O, I wouldn't have made near the money I made. Dispatch would give me a list of things to do, and I'd call them the next morning(on the WATTS line, remember that?) and tell them what I'd completed. I don't think I could have gotten away with that with "Big Brother" watching me.

 

Truck accidents lately? Come out from under that rock. Trucks are involved in accidents every day and have been since they've been on the roads. Same can be said about 4 wheelers. Are elogs to blame for all the 4 wheeler accidents.......lately?

 

Ran a loose leaf log for almost all my career. Fact: They are very easy to cheat. Fact: The fact I handed the officer a professional looking but loose leaf log book always got comments like "oh a comic book huh?", eye rolling and it never failed to undergo VERY heavy scrutiny. I always passed with my comic book. I took the Dalai Lama's fifth Instruction for Life to heart: Know the rules well so you know how to break them properly. Running E-logs I have been level one inspected twice and they never even looked at my logs. One officer did have them faxed over but then didn't bother to go over them. Glanced at the summary page and moved right along.

Last six months been on E-logs and been practicing the first half of the DL's instructions - with an extension being: Learn HOW the rules are enforced well . . .

My take on the pros and cons pretty much mirrors the sentiments already expressed. I'm OK with them. It's a moot argument. They are here, here to stay and in one form or another we will all be mandated to use them very soon (relatively speaking). Might as well get used to them. I quoted this one because I have a shallow learning curve for things electronic. I also had the World's Record longest post trip inspection. Seventy eight hours. Apparently I spent my whole hometime weekend on duty doing my post trip inspection and burned up all my 70 in three days.

All I can say is thank goodness for the edit feature and I'll leave that at that.