ELD Are there any silver linings

So you are looking for just an ELD system? do you want any other features?

 

To be clear I'm not debating the right or wrong moral part of it. I'm explaining what judge after judge has ruled on cases pertaining to commercial vehicles. For example: the dot and state highway patrol can stop you for a random inspection at any time with out probable cause. They don't need a reason to pull you over, unlike when in your personal vehicle. Right? Wrong? Doesnt matter. Its the way it is and nothing you or i say is going to change it.

 

Yes an eld system. I'm not familiar with anything other than quallcom and peoplenet but what other features could a different branded system offer that those 2 systems couldn't? I've heard of these tablet style ones but honestly don't know how I feel with Chinese made electronics. I guess that brings up another good question of what system can offer me the best features, take a beating that doesn't have a cracked screen from cheap plastics, and doesn't cost a set of new tires each month to pay to play. I do occasionally do some off road but do take care of my investments. However u can't fix cheaply made poorly engineered junk..

 

Well i haven't had any in my hand yet so I can't speak to quality, but most of the ones now connect to your own tablet and some to your phone, so i guess the quality is there. I have been looking at the Rand McNally 50, the KeepTruckin version, JJ Keller and Foley so far. they all seem to have the same basic features to meet the ELD requirements. its the extras that i have been looking at and cost. JJ Keller wants you to spend @ $400 for the equipment and then a min of $20 a month, ow! KeepTrucking is $20 month, no equipment at all. RM ELD 50 i think is $150 for the piece and then the basic service is $14 or $15. the few things i like about the RM so far is with the extra monthly service i also get engine monitoring (gauges) to see what she is doing, IFTA, and something else i forget, but i also like the fact that , i was told, it can unplugged and plugged back in without any major issues or a phone call to tech support. unlike some of the others.
but if google ELDs, you will get a list, and you will find that just an ELD is a lot cheaper than Peoplenet

 

yes i understand that, but again at least in that case, you are operating commercially, not privately.
A semi, even with commercial plates, operated privately falls into a different category.' Its not the commercial plates that give them the rights to "bother" you, its the DOT# on the side. if you operating privately and cover the DOT#, then your "NOT FOR HIRE" and DOT and State DOT Officers have no jurisdiction over you

 

You all work in an industry that is regulated by the federal government through the interstate commerce clause, so the rights of privacy end when you go on duty and work. It is the same as a pilot, a ships captain and other regulated industries.

The eld is the tool that they mandate to use I place of paper logs which are there to just keep track of the hours of service. The hours of service was created not to control the driver but to protect them from abuse. Those who want to do away with the hos need to grow up a bit and think that it isn't about just them, the ICC/US DOT/FMCSA didn't write the regulations and put in them "these are written to keep mr. joe smith from driving like he wants to drive", they were intended to be a simplified regulation to allow us to work without being threatened by the company and now elds have provided another layer of protection because the company can now see what the hours left are and can't make stupid demands.

 

Sorry Ridgeline - But i think you missed the point of the discussion. Although you did Validate one of my points - WHEN YOU GO ON DUTY -- I don't have a problem with the rules then, well maybe a little and if you think the Logs, HOS and ELDs are there ONLY to protect the driver from the big bad company, you really have not your homework.
BUT my WHOLE POINT is when I AM OFF DUTY - THOSE RULES No longer apply. Hence the ELD no longer should be tracking me. when its tracking GPS coordinates and miles and not just hours then its in no way there to JUST protect the driver. thats a whole lot more than a paper log did.

 

Not really. You are supposed to be tracking those miles and routes for ifta. Just because you are off duty doesn't mean all regulations, not just hos, but all of the things we must do, stop and end.

 

I asked the ELD Fleet folks at RM about this... tracking if Off Duty and logged out of the ELD... waiting for an answer.

Mark

 

oops... I did that wrong... I see where I should have added my drive time to the remarks..