ELD, the best thing to happen to the industry since the 3406B

As long as "honest eloggers" log on duty time on line 1 or 2, nothing is going to change...except for the mad race against the 14 hour clock running breakneck speeds through town to "make up" for lost time elsewhere. You still have guys driving long past their 70 (because they "saved" their clock by logging lines 1 or 2 whenever possible). You'll still have people working 16-18 hours per day (because they arrived at the shipper/receiver last night, and crept ever so slowly to the dock in order to not trigger the start of their "official" elogged day before they were actually loaded or unloaded). You'll still have shippers and receivers dragging their feet, because that's the way they've always done it and if you won't pull their freight there are plenty of others who will (and probably for less). The medium to large carriers won't become any more efficient...they'll just hire more drivers and start putting teams in them if they don't feel like buying more trucks. Can't make the appointment? Drop the load and we'll repower it. We'll let you know in a day or two where we'll send you next...so hang tight.

Keep dreaming those pipe dreams of yours, though. People like you always figure this next change will revolutionize the industry for the better...but it never happens. Sure, things change...but not really. Company still wants to provide decent service for cheap to the customer, because there will always be someone willing to do it for less. Shippers and receivers know this. Brokers know this. Only people who don't seem to know this are the ones like you who think THIS is going to be that magic bullet that all of the other big changes were also supposed to be (but weren't).

 

I work part time for my former employer. I hop in a truck when a driver is sick, vacation, etc.

I notice all the speed governors have been pushed up faster

Great plan Big Gov

 

Just making the necessary adjustments to ensure the drivers still have the flexibility to get the job done. 5-10 mph below the speed limit meant sometimes fudging by 20-30 minutes...so now you can drive the speed limit to make it back on time. Problem solved.

 

I don't need an "angle". I'm home every night and don't venture out farther than I can make it back...and BECAUSE I'm home every night, I get the 16 hour exception to play with once per week. Most of my days are more like 8-10 hours, though. I haven't come close to working 70 hours in several years...typical week for me is only 40-45...50 if it's a busy week, counting everything from the time my truck rolls out of my driveway in the morning until I park it and walk back into the house. In other words, I'm typically going to be exempt...and even if I reach a temporary point where I'm not "technically" exempt, good luck proving that on the side of the road. Just as I've never shown a log book inside of the 100 air-mile radius, I don't plan on showing my ELD outside of it. A time card showing my previous 7's hours plus the current day's log book page and tell the officer I'm exempt. Nothing he can do but take me for my word. I don't carry any paperwork I don't need that day. Yesterday's paperwork is left at the house. Even if I had a log book with my previous 7, you might find 1 or 2 days plus the current day where I logged anything other than straight line 4 (record of hours worked, NOT a record of duty status). "It was a busy week...I don't usually venture out this far, but the money was there". They can't prove I don't qualify, and you're innocent until proven guilty.

And if it becomes a problem? No big deal. It would take all of 2 minutes to change my operation so that I'm never more than 45 minutes to an hour from home.

Yes, times are a-changing, but not for the better. Your pay won't be going up. You won't be driving more miles. Companies are growing their fleets to handle steady freight volumes...meaning LESS freight for each driver to haul. Sure, you might see a nickle per mile more...but what good does that do you if your mileage drops by more than that pay increase can cover? Congrats. Sit there at a truckstop somewhere in BFE waiting for your next load while your family tries to make it on those smaller paychecks. I'll be living comfortably at home with my wife and kid.

 

ELDs can easily be cheated. Those who think otherwise are delusional.

 

Our drivers have never gone 5-10 mph below. Always speed limit or better

The drivers from that fleet were passing me on I65 last night at 75-80 MPH.

BTW I got called into duty Friday. I worked all day at my regular job, then hopped in a truck for my old boss and drove straight to Chicago. I took a 2-hour nap on I65 in Kentucky.

Chicago loaded me in about an hour. I drove straight back to Atlanta with a 2-hour nap near Nashville. Rain and fog most of the way.

Don't try this at home lol