E log vs paper

IF EOBR's are so great then why make them mandatory? If they're as good as you say they will be phased in on their own merit. Usually when a product is being mandated by the Gov't it's not because it's so great that everybody wants it...

 

Obviously, everyone sees things from their own perspective. You claim to be able to run good miles consistently because your load planner and your load manager do such a good job. My load planner and driver manager is ... me! I don't drive for a mega-carrier with drop trailers at both ends and thousands of loads from which to choose. I'm an owner operator with a few customers with specific loads and we try to take care of each other. They have loads that must meet their customer's requirements and they rely on me to make sure those requirements are met and that's what I do. I also schedule my own routine maintenance and down time for repairs, etc. and still make sure everyone's needs get met. I, and thousands of others like me, probably require a little more flexibility than do you. You might think e-logs are the greatest thing since sliced bread, but to me, and again to those thousands of others like me, they are one more straw on the camel's back. One more hassle I just don't need. One more bit of big brotherism than I'm willing to put up with. I work for myself with my own authority, insurance, plates etc. and am good at what I do. I have a record with very, very few citations and zero accidents in multi-millions of miles in every kind of operating condition imaginable. If a road is closed, I find one that's open and keep going. The job gets done. I'm old school and don't plan on changing unless I'm forced into it at which point, one more old-school trucker will likely be missing from the road..... And from what I've seen it'll take more than one of the new breed to replace me, especially if they're running a solar-powered, speed limited, underpowered fleet truck w/ e-logs and get panicked at the thought of running in bad weather or on two lanes. E-logs don't prevent accidents. See the Tracy Morgan Wal-Mart wreck ... e-logs didn't do any good at all and were probably a proximate cause of the accident!

 

You'll never get an answer to this that makes sense. If they were so great everybody would run out and get them ASAP. Shippers would demand their top carriers had them in every truck. I'm sure I'll be called some knuckle dragging stone age trucker that can't adapt which isn't true but whatever. That'll be right after he posts how he cheated his EOBR by driving slow or some other "trick" or while he's taking his 30 in the fuel lane.

 

I will tell you one thing one extra hour three days ago and I would have made been able to make this pickup today drop tomorrow and home now I have to stay out all weekend. I was feeling great all week and could have done something productive instead of sitting bored for the extra 4 hrs on every 10hr break. I only sleep 5 to 6 hrs and tge boredom is what makes me tired oh and the hrs of 5-7am barley able to keep eyes open but always seem to have to run then to make the drop and next pickup since most my places close about 3. If I wait longer have to deal with more traffic both in and out instead of just out.
The lack of flexibility is the biggest killer for most idont care they limit the amount of hrs as 70 is more than I wish to work anyways but let me set it up to run when awake and alert and around rush hour traffic I get sleepy I will take a nap and have many time just now days it resaults in being late somewhere where it used to just mean I was on time and fully rested.
Sorry but the alot slower traffic is dangerous period its either break or make a quick lane change and it hard to judge that slower vehicle before hand when the truck ahead of you waited to the last second to slide over it only adds 100 ft and you had nothing to judge by before hand whether he was gain slow or fast and the extra 100 and then some is gone by the time you can tell for sure.

 

I will weigh in here. For the most part what I have noticed, is that speed limited trucks and EOBR's have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with control. Yes there are ways to manipulate them, but why is it considered safer to put someone on a stopwatch? Now before you new age E-log supporters get up in arms, I have friends that are O/O's that have them. The biggest difference they noticed is having to have larger delivery windows. Also they are more conscious of their RPM. (That's Rate Per Mile for you company hands). A lot of these companies apparently don't trust their drivers to do the right thing, so they monitor every second used in a day. Not saying all companies, but its fairly apparent to anyone with a good set of eyes which ones do. I am not anti-EOBR, however there needs to be flexibility in a day, we are not time clock punchers! Also not everyone in a truck drives for a large company where you can maintain miles through D&H. Miles to me are not my biggest concern, RPM is! However with the types of freight I haul, a little flexibility would be nice. I don't have anyone telling me where to go, when to go, etc,etc. however the people in charge think we should all go about our workdays in exactly the same patterns, regardless of whether you as an individual can go, are more tired, etc. Now let everyone tell me I'm a Stone Age super trucker because I refuse to be assimilated.

 

Now hold there, I am on eLogs AND I have a flip phone. As for my opinion about elogs, they are not an issue for me. I can drive using paper and I can drive using elogs both equally well. Both have their plusses and minuses. Make the best use of whichever system you have is my philosophy.

 

Woke up at a 6am yesterday after getting 4 hrs of sleep because some ####### wanted to talk to me about how he was tired after going 2000 miles and needed to polish my chrome for some money. Then i was up all day until my overgross situation with this load was corrected and i left about 7:30 last night running through the night making over 700 miles with E-logs and a speed governed truck and I am 100% in compliance. stopped for an hour nap around 4am like i normally do running full nights with minimal sleep and i am 100% in compliance with DOT REG's. Also a DOT officer just went through my logs with a fine tooth combed and claims i didn't take a full 10 hour break a week ago which is absurd being that I'm on E-logs, but i didn't argue with him because he didn't say anything about me Logging 1 minute for Pre/post trips and fueling/load checks lol.

I could have kept driving last night at 4am and been in 100% compliance until i fell asleep and drove off the road. I CHOSE TO STOP and take a nap because I KNOW MY LIMITS. The E-log did nothing here and now I'm wide awake ready to run, but instead i have to sit here in BFE Texas arguing what should be common sense because the computer says that if i do one more mile than 708 today the world will clearly implode...

 

I have this sick desire for that exactly to happen ... Push me company, push me, I can't be late or someone will have a hairy coniption ... Be legal while diving into the ditches ...

 

The problem is too many guys on paper logs just drew lines and would run for days until they crashed. That's why elogs are coming.

 

Right because ELOGS have made our roads SO much safer, a driver with ELOGS can never be tired and run into the ditch.

As long as he's compliant while he kills somebody.

I'll put "the guys on paper" you speak of from 20 years ago vs todays Quallcom Elog 63 MPH robot any day.

I challenge you to show me evidence that ELOGS have made our roads safer.