How bout them E-Logs.....Anyone, Anyone...Bueller....Bueller

Not on them yet, but I am used to "fudging". At the end of the day, I run the same total hours and miles, and I drive when I am alert, and sleep when I am tired. But I do it when MY BODY AND MY MIND tell me to do that, not some "suit" in Washington DC.

For me, it is going to be hard to adapt. I really doubt it will be worth the effort, but I'll give it a shot.

If I can't adapt, I may have to go work for some smaller company that runs paper logs, has trucks that run 75 or better, and doesn't care if you idle when needed.

Wait....what did I just say?

 

I've only been on them about a week, so I haven' decided yet if I like them or not. Not hard to get used to, just have to put info in the qualcomm instead of on a piece of paper.
I do like the fact that it makes the DMs and planners get their stuff together rather than passing it on to a driver.

 

i don't like being on them. but, what can i do? most of the trucking companies within the industry are switching over to electronic logs, anyway.

 

The industry must realize that they are going to lose $$$ hand-over-fist with e-logs?! Without the usual 'little' cheating to cover all the variables of OTR driving and delivery of on-time freight, many loads will be late and will have to have delivery dates/times rescheduled. Also means more lost time for drivers sitting and waiting for new delivery date/times---Walmart used to have no mercy on late loads and wouldnt receive til the next day. Talked with several Werner o/o drivers years back who hated being penalized for the time spent driving in their yards dealing with trlrs. They all said that they couldnt make any $$$ as o/o's under e-logs.

Apparently, the DOT and few deadly accidents/millions-of-miles-driven are pressure enuf to force e-logs. It shud drive up the cost of freight in general, and penalize the govn'd speed carriers.

 

OK, been on them for a week now.

DON'T like them, but think I can work with them.

Pro's:

So far, I actually get more miles. Why? I am an "afternoon napper." Now, I am scheduled to use all my hours, and with that #### 14 hour rule, I usually have to drive through my nap time.

DM can see exactly how many hours I have available, so utilizes me more efficiently. (see above)

I DO get 10 hours off duty/sleeper time.

Cons:

I can't take my afternoon nap.

I really have to plan my trips, instead of "making them work", after the fact.

I just don't like having someone's nose up my ### all the time.

I'd much rather elogs did not exist, but they do, and I think I can adapt. Still, if I can find a job with a smaller outlaw company, it would be attractive.

 

Only companies with piss poor logistics will have to reschedule appointments. This happens with or without e-logs. E-logs will be the weapon drivers have needed for so long.

No longer will a broker be able "hold out" on a load, hoping to get a bottom feeder/broke ### to pull it for nothing. He'll be forced to pony up the real money....quickly. Or watch his own client list bail on him, for a more dependable broker.

E-logs will force ###hole companies into paying detention....or go belly up from their piss poor management skills, and equally lazy work force. No company will allow a driver to sit for hours on end once these logs are in place. If they do...that truck WILL sit, forcing an even larger loss of revenue on them.

E-logs are coming. And the days of the POS grocery warehouses and lumpers are numbered.

Anyone know an O/O willing to make $600 gross a week ?? Anyone know of a company willing to limit their trucks to less than 1500 miles a week voluntarily???

Be on the look out for 100-200 percent increase in grocery prices. Coming to a store near you.......soon.

 

If i recall correctly, you're 1 of those Knight drivers that was a great company cheerleader! Imagine that, it didn't take you long to figure out what a bottom feeder that company is!
Good luck with electronic logs.

The company i drive for now has electronic logs, but it doesn't affect me at all as i make enough money i don't have to run illegal any more. In fact we have the same run everyday and they are set up to be completed in 12 hours or less. If you get done early, you still make the same amount of money. And here's the best part of my job, i go home every day!

 

No, not a "cheerleader", just that trucking (with most outfits) is never a perfect job. There are almost always pluses and minuses.

I've worked for "hell bent for leather" companies that had 85 mph trucks, didn't care about logs, and would dispatch you on a 650-700 mile trip in the late afternoon, for an early morning delivery. And then wait until the next afternoon (so the rates would go up) to dispatch you on another "geturdone" load. Pluses were I made good money, and got home every weekend.

With Knight, I don't get those miles (nowhere near), and I make less money per mile, but I also don't have to drive around the scales, and I don't have to run 8-10 over the speed limit. Of course, I can't even do the speed limit, LOL! Still.

All I'm saying, I guess, is that Knight is what it is, and it won't be a good fit for everyone. It was a good fit for me, for awhile, and now I am reevaluating. Nothing lasts forever.

 

I have run on nothing but E-logs and the only real setback I saw with it was if you are a refrigerated hauler we tend to loose alot of our time at the grocery warehouses and DC's. If you run on E-logs and you get delayed at a shipper or can't park there to sleep you can end up in a real pickle.

Not to mention the way my log used to run once the truck stop moving it automatically puts you on line 4 and you just have to make sure you make the proper adjustments to optimize your time. I have gotten to a receiver 5hrs before I was supposed to..... just to run out of hours and still ended up getting a violation due to them taking forever to get the truck unloaded. Thats one of the biggest cons your log is hard-wired into the truck so if you move so much as 200-500ft the clock starts ticking again. So if you have to move the truck to get off of the shipper/receivers property and there isn't a truck stop in the immediate area then you are screwed. (This has happened to me more than once)

We as drivers do not have 10hrs to devote to a shipper or receiver (Walmart DC's). Trucking companies really need to get more pro-active on our behalf in this regard. If you are willing to give me an appt time; Then stand by that time. Get me loaded safely and effeciently and the hell off your dock. Just makes good business sense( Not to get side-tracked ).

Plus a big pro is that a good amount of DOT officers don't even know how to operate the things. So normally once you tell them you run on e-logs they just tell you to kick rocks. I have only had one officer ask me to pull up a specific day and even then I felt like I probably knew more than he did. I think they just want to see that you actually know how to pull them up. It also gives the driver the ammo to say hey I don't have the hours for that. They can't force our hand because one little call to safety and they'll have their behind in a sling. Plus no paper logbooks to keep up with.

Once you learn how to use the system it ain't that bad there are little things you can do to really optimize your hours. I was trained on e-logs and never really had to use paper so I got used to running with them. Drivers need to start being real with themselves with CSA2010 headed towards us.... your logbook is one less thing you need to really have to worry about when we are trying to keep the points down. If you are looking at any of the big companies better get used to e-logs because they are the way of the future. Takes some of the guess work out of it for the DM's who normally have had very little experience in this industry. Once you get used to e-logs it's easy 5min for your pre and post and your good....... just make sure before you get on the road you know how to edit it and you are good.