Paperless logs

Ive never heard of logging 15 minutes for a post trip..?? Unless your carrier requires it. But DOT doesnt. You just flag it. All of our rest area's in Oregon are full of TALL TREES and many times I would have no signal. I guess you must call logs/safety in the morning to let them know. Kind of a hassle if you ask me.

 

That could be the difference between Prime's implementation of the qualcomm software vs. Werner's. Prime only keeps an 8 day running total, mainly because our freight base into Canada isn't that strong, so those people who carry passports or FAST cards are the only ones who have the 'dual paperwork' deal. I suppose, as I've stated in another thread, until FMCSA makes policy on EOBR's and standardizes the requirements for ALL CARRIERS nationally, there will be a lot of variation on which carriers do what based on their individual needs. Prime does it because they know it's an industry trend, and will eventually become a mandate by 'default' if more than 50% of the trucks on the road use them, given the current political climate.

 

In all this paperless log fiasco, if I were on paperless logs, how would it handle, say, if I dropped my trailer, then bobtailed to my hearts content in my owned tractor, and then started again with logging after I hooked back up to the trailer?

I do this all the time going home each weekend. I paper log all that I do, but once I drop the trailer, I am on my own time (legally by FMCSA) and do not log anything with no complaints from safety or FMCSA. I just go to off duty and in the comments section I write "personal use".

Interested on how this is handled by outfits with paperless log systems.

 

At Prime its considered line 5- Off Duty Driving. As long as you are not under a trailer, or under dispatch its line 5.

If you are Bob tail under dispatch to go pick up a trailer it counts as on duty driving. But, if you drop a trailer to be loaded and run around town runnining errands its off duty. same thing if you drop a trailer and DH home bob tail.

 

Paperless is definitely the way to go with any type of document control. With our company we are working to move into a paperless office and it is a lot of work when you are already established with a traditional paper office.

Paperless just makes everything less complicated and is a smart decision for everyone to consider.

 

Prime or Werner drivers - What happens when your searching for a parking spot and must move on down the road to find one, and your over the 11 hrs? Or, you have a 2am dlvry and must drive into the property and get unloaded, then must leave the property to go find another parking spot? You must start your 10 hrs over again? Or is there a way around this?
When we go paperless, its gonna suck when I'm 30-60 miles from HOME, and I must wait 10 hrs., part of the job I guess. I'm hoping there will be holes in the system tho to acomadate the reality of trucking.

 

Knighton5, simple, you let em know on the qualcomm why you're in violation with a freeform message, and you keep on looking. Werner will fire you for parking on an onramp, and most non truckstops will run you off, so i flat out dont park anywhere but a truckstop or rest area. Our safety department prefers log violations over ramp parking.

yes, parking after making a delivery will start your 10 hours over and give you a violation. Also, sending an MT message will log 15 minutes on duty, and will interrupt your break anyway (you can wait til its over to send it)

You can get it logged as personal drive time on line 1, but it will still interrupt your 10 hour break (but you wont get a violation). I try to get my customers to let me just park onsite for the rest of the break. If they made me wait an excessively long time, i will tell them, hey, you made me wait 8 hours. I only need 2 more before i can drive. Most of the <pejorative>iest places are ok with it as long as its just a few hours. I don't make any deliveries unless it is a drop and hook when i am almost out of hours unless i know exactly what im going to do when i run out of hours waiting for them. (a call ahead to the customer is usually very helpful).

Also, you can drive a very short distance before it picks up that youre driving. You can also put tinfoil over the antenna and it will not log anything, but this is technically against the FMCSRs as abuse of an EOBR and the penalty can be being forced to use paper logs (which are easier to abuse anyhow...LOL)

I flat out had a violation once because dispatch told me a shipper had overnight parking, and they knew i was going to be 100&#37; out of my 14 when i got to the gate. I got there, oh, you cant park here. I drove about 5 miles and it didnt pick up, but i sent a message telling dispatch that it was THEIR FAULT that i broke the LAW. What else can i do, you know....

Personally, if i was less than 45 minutes from home, i would flat out drive 65 until i get there. I live just outside the chicago metro area though, so depending on the time of day, that might not be very far! heheh! Anything under 45 minutes gets nothing more than a raised eyebrow from safety here.

 

Paperless is great in the sense of....it being...paperless. Paper logbooks are a MESS. Ever looked at one? This truck is paperless for all of my personal record keeping as well, the only paper i use is for trip paperwork that i send to the company, because thats how they want it. I have Excel spreadsheets that keep track of my expenses and reimbursements on the road, and soon i will be buying a scanner so that i can keep the receipts on the computer as well. It also saves money on faxes because i can use email instead.

Paperless logs, however, log everything you do whether you want it to or not, sometimes causing you to make a log that is in violation of the law, having to re-take 34 hour restarts, etc.....whereas with paper, you just get out the white out and make it look legal... Know what i mean?

 

Now I'm Really confused. What the hell is line 5 ?
I only have 4 lines.

 

Ok so I guess that your 3 months with Werner trumps my 5 years that ended last November 1.

I have the 100% log compliant awards from Werner. It's not that hard to achieve this. You are correct logs can be difficult to deal with. There was a trip I was on where I lost signal for about an hour. I called when I parked and they noted time and location then. Had me send in log corrections right then so when signal came back it would all be restored to correct. And low and behold it did.

You are correct most DOT will not mess with you on logs. More than once going along the eastern border of South Dakota and their little road side check they would wave me on through.

If you run out east a lot it can make the qualcomm do screwed up things.
On one new truck I had during a lighting storm it changed my duty status from 2 to 3 and moved me almost 300 miles down the road then put me in a violation for not having a long enough break. Called logs right then. In the end it scrambled the main box under the bunk. Had to get it fixed. Now there is a lot of fun when you don't run through terminals trying to find someone to fix otr. Call in for loads, mt out , load up. Faxing in copies of your log book so they could manually enter. Did that for about 3 weeks. Well good luck!