BREAKING NEWS: Senators introduce bill to require EOBRs

EOBRs and elogs are typical government overreaction to a serious problem - a problem we cause for ourselves. As commercial drivers we're held to a higher standard than 4-wheelers. When we screw up and squash someone's family, eventually the blame game gets around to demanding something is done about the "awful carnage on the highways." Well here we are. Enough folks get caught with log violations, falsefied logs - and get into accidents - that now the government has concluded that we can't be trusted with a logbook and a pen. Doesn't mean I like it - either the idea that this industry is so corrupt that you can't make a living at it unless you're constantly violating the HOS rules (a first cut at getting us under control.) or the idea that only a computer-nanny, electronic-leash system will keep up from slaughtering the next 4-wheel idiot that does something stupid in front of us that we'll get blamed for. We can fight it as much as we want, but its pretty obvious that this is the future of trucking - either accept it or move on. Iron pony you sing 2 different songs here one you want to fight but then you say.......EITHER ACCEPT IT OR MOVE ON .So which side are you on and why????? As for moving on I have and #### proud I left the industry when I did because its not getting any better and one thing for sure it will get worse not better

 

It's just a sign of the times. Stupid people with stupid ideas. It's everywhere anymore. We wouldn't be the first developed country to dumb themselves right into third world status.

 

This is true and the ones singing how good things are going to be are the ones that will be crying in the end

 

And this is why they keep changing the rules.......The rules that we had before worked good but back then the drivers was a driver not some steering wheel holder as we have today and now we have some that has to have somone holding their hands today .It just makes me sick to see where the industry has gone in the last 20 years

 

I posted earlier E-Logs suck. With that said I asked those who oppose them a few questions. How do you stop the crashes we read about of drivers killing people and being over hours? Don't tell me you know when your too tired to drive. So do I, and I'm sure the drivers who killed someone felt the same way. Wanna change my mind that E-Logs are the answer? Can you explain in a way that makes sense? With out all the Blah,Blah,Blah?

 

Yup. Even before i started driving, I always knew to go to bed when I got tired. How do you know when to go to bed on your 34? There's no law. You're allowed to stay up late on the weekend! And watch scary movies too!

 

This^^^^^^. The HOS is )(*^&^. The drivers that are ok with the HOS are the drivers that want to lay up on thier sorry *&^% in a truck stop with lizzards and be 1st in line for the buffet.

 

Need more drivers like this guy.^^^^^^^^^

 

In the post right above yours I asked those who oppose E-Logs to change my mind, explain yourselves. Your answer is what I thought: BLAH,BLAH,BLAH

 

Well, I'll disagree with it getting "worse" - its gonna "change" and whether that's "worse" or not really depends on your attitude toward it.

I'm 60-40 on this one.

I think we should fight the current push to make them MANDITORY for all CMVs. I've called my Senators and Rep - and let them know that. As all of you should. I think the nonsense about KNOWING when we are in or out of the truck 24/7 smacks of treating us like prisoners.

The good: Mostly for fleets, IF USED PROPERLY. Which they won't be. My carrier is leaving us alone on the micromanagement side. They are using the information generated from them to make us more efficient... I'm getting loads faster, and they tend to make better use of my hours. I still have the say-so on taking it, and my FM certainly sends me loads that are at the outside of the hours I have available. I still have to figure out how to make all of it work, and especially how to make it work legally. Since the computer is doing all the logging for us, that takes the "log mistakes" out of the CSA 2010 disaster. Also, the DOT bears don't even want to inspect my logs - because they're dealt with by the computer. I'm getting inspected less frequently, therefore I HAVE MUCH LESS CHANCE OF PICKING UP A TICKET FOR BS.

The bad: For some fleet drivers it means more repowers if they can't figure out how to change their habits from paper logs - and a loss of revenue. It is different, but can be adapted to. Mostly it means you have to do more planning, and you can't push the envelope the way paper logs allowed you to. For independents, it means a lot less flexibility - but that's also talking about not logging illegally. The change to electronic logging also means (indirectly) that the folks still on paper logs will be spending more time in the coops with our good friends, the bears... sorry guys.

Do I like it? Not really. Has it been bad for me? Nope. Am I making less money? Certainly not, I'm making more. So like I said at the top, I'm 60-40 on it. I also think that EOBRs/elogs are pretty much a done deal in the Congress. Its not that we're all going to end up with the #### things, because we will - industry support pretty much guarantees that. Its how these things are implemented that is important. It can be done in a way that is reasonable, or the #### things can be made into a heavy stone hanging from our necks.