Would any of you use an ELD without being forced to?

Yes, I would. I made more money on elds than paper and never got stuck 30 miles from home before I ran out of time.

 

I could care less. I make my coin hourly.

 

2 year's ago i would have said no way. But it didn't take long for me to actually prefer having it. 1, dot pretty much ignored me after installing them. 2. Became a lot easier to get a full day rate on those short hauls that have few miles but soak up the majority of the day once customers realized that i was only going to be able to do that one load on that day. Gone were the statements amounting to "why are you screwing me for a thousand dollars. It's only going 30 miles!".

 

Me. I was an early adopter back in the late 90's, and for the last 5-6 years ELog was a requirement for my considering a new carrier. The few non-ELog carriers I ran for were more than enough to convince me that paper was a bad deal for a company driver.

No more 20 hour days, no more dispatch pushing and threatening, no more bs about staying compliant. And don't talk to me about 'driver coercion'. That needs proof. 'He said/He said' ain't proof. That's why dispatch loves cell phones.

 

Funny, I've been on paper for 16 years and never once had those problems. Perhaps you should've just tried growing a spine?

I've never had a problem with DOT looking at my logs, either...even get to teach THEM the rules every once in a while when I'm using an exception/exemption they are unfamiliar with. Keep 'em neat and know what the regs state and you're gold. Once they see you are a professional and that you know what you're doing instead of the typical uneducated clown hanging onto the steering wheel, their attitude changes.

Put me down in the "paper" crowd. Even with the mandate in place, I'll be on paper whenever I can claim exempt status.

 

I don't have a problem with them.

 

I have kept my opinion of e-log to my self till now. So here it is..... I AM NOT A SHEEP if you don't
understand that, STOP READING NOW ! The BS of the rates going up is a fairytale. Dispatchers forcing drivers to violate hos, BS. The story of making less or more $$$ depending on who you talk to is a joke to me. The ones who say plan your runs to optimize your time.....yeah right, so everyday Goes acording to plan, ha! Get a backbone ! Stand up for yourself ! Use that grey matter between your ears ! Sad part is e-log are here now, going to be harder to abolish it than it was to in act it. I'm NOT A SHEEP !!