Frustrated ref Elog HOS. Need suggestions please.

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You're going to have to start manage your hrs better.You don't wanna receive too many violations from your company,in time it could cost you your job.i know you wanna keep this job and will do whatever it takes but from now on look at your hrs and tell your dispatch what you have to work with before he assigns you a load.Start looking at your hours more then a couple times a day.

 

My suggestion would be to stop crying about the rules , and learn how to trip plan.....635 miles is doable , but with a truck governed at 63 mph that means from the very start you're at a terrible disadvantage...a flat tire , an accident , construction , and yes bad weather , any number of things can hold you up. My suggestion would be to tell the dispatcher you need at the very least another 12 to maybe 18 hours of time to make it on time....That's my suggestion....

As far as the paycheck goes...if you're living that close ( on a budget) then you might need to think of things you can do without , so you can run legally. No need to run on the edge like that....puts way too much stress on you and your company , the way competition is today , theres always someone ready to take a run away from you if you're late on a delivery..... besides you didn't address my question about what you would do if you were involved in an accident trying to " play the game to your advantage ".....no way you can justify breaking an HOS rule just to make more money.....at least not to me anyhow.....you do as you wish.....but , remember this.....when you make the choice to run illegally , and you do have the misfortune of being involved in an accident involving serious injuries or God forbid a fatality , IT'S gonna be ALL on YOU dear...not the shipper , not the receiver , and that dispatcher is gonna throw you under the bus.... Not judging you , not my place , but after over 30 years in this business I have learned a couple of things. Just trying to show you where you aren't putting the most important facet of the industry first and foremost...that being SAFETY.....not on-time delivery , not a paycheck , but being a safe driver....FIRST......only wish you the best. happy trails TTTD......

 

The way I read it you knew you were going to be close and you gambled and lost. It happens, you did what you could. I know a lot of folks will say you shouldn't have cut it that close but I probably would have done the same thing.

Anyway, so you got an HOS violation, welcome to the club!

 

I agree with you, and am a strong opponent of the ELDs. On them you become a slave to the clock.
Theres been times when I went over 11/14 and I was in good condition to do so. But also there were times when 10 hour rest period wasn't enough, or I couldn't drive more than 6 hrs, but I could make it up the next day and get to my destination in time.
We all know mandatory ELDs are coming and its going to make us all less safe and the already bad parking situation is going to get worse.

 

If they are the problems you are having then your issue ISN'T with ELD's, your issue is with the HOS rules themselves, writing it on paper doesn't change the rules.

 

Well yes, but on paper logs you can bend the HOS rules, on ELDs you cant. Which is the reason they want them implemented under a guise of safety. Yet they will have the opposite effect for most of us.
In case of OP he could've extended his driving time by 15minutes and gotten to his destination without getting a violation, and safer then what he did.

 

IF he was held up in traffic because of a wreck, he could have also gone to ON-Duty thus preserving his drive time, let's face it, if you are sitting still in traffic with you air valve popped, you ain't driving!

Same goes for unexpected bad weather, the tools ARE available, USE THEM when you have a legitimate problem, they are not there for poor planning.

Some of you guys need to study more and whine less.

§ 395.1: Scope of rules in this part. (a) General. (1) The rules in this part apply to all motor carriers and drivers, except as provided in paragraphs (b) through (r) of this section.
(2) The exceptions from Federal requirements contained in paragraphs (l) and (m) of this section do not preempt State laws and regulations governing the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles.
(b) Driving conditions—(1) Adverse driving conditions. Except as provided in paragraph (h)(2) of this section, a driver who encounters adverse driving conditions, as defined in § 395.2, and cannot, because of those conditions, safely complete the run within the maximum driving time permitted by §§ 395.3(a) or 395.5(a) may drive and be permitted or required to drive a commercial motor vehicle for not more than 2 additional hours beyond the maximum time allowed under §§ 395.3(a) or 395.5(a) to complete that run or to reach a place offering safety for the occupants of the commercial motor vehicle and security for the commercial motor vehicle and its cargo.
(2) Emergency conditions. In case of any emergency, a driver may complete his/her run without being in violation of the provisions of the regulations in this part, if such run reasonably could have been completed absent the emergency.



Definition,
§ 395.2: Definitions. As used in this part, the following words and terms are construed to mean:
Adverse driving conditions means snow, sleet, fog, other adverse weather conditions, a highway covered with snow or ice, or unusual road and traffic conditions, none of which were apparent on the basis of information known to the person dispatching the run at the time it was begun.

 

Look your trying too hard. figure 49 mph, that is 539 miles in 11 hours. The company not you decided they want you to run legal thats why they put a elog in your truck.

When ever HOS prevents me from making a delivery its just too bad. I dont have a problem with runninf elogs, I plan my run as soon as its given to me. If I cant make it runnning a 49 mph average, then I tell them I cant make your delivey till (what evr time it works out 2 be).

Dont let someschmuck of a dispatcher put this back on you. Remind them you have to run legal and theres nothing you can do. And no I wont drive at 10 mph to keep the elog from kicking in.

Some things you can do, when you hit a driveway, kick it to off duty right away, only show just enough time to match for fueling dont sit in line on line 4, go to line 1 till just before you get out of the truck. Same thing with driving dont shift to line 3 before your ready to actually move. These minutes will add up over the course of the week.

6 to 10 minutes per day per driver, thats as much as an hours per week. The difference between delivery and parked unable to get there.

 

This is more about company policy and how they have choosen to program the macros of the elog system. Its not about knowing the law, this is company policy and programing, Out of Hours, equals Park the Truck too bad so sad, dump it back on the dispatcher. Driver Grow Some Balls. This maybe your bad palning maybe not, you did not setup the system your safety department did, tell dispatch to call them see if they give a crap, because they dont.