Transition to EOBR

After reading this thread:Zzzz. j/k. It is though the "same old same old". I have been on e-logs,been on paper,next I dunno. Course you don't "know" me so I will tell you (please believe) I have in my adolescent life hated rules and regs,as well as in my young adult life,and yes now in my middle-aged life.

For those of you hating the thought of mandatory e-logs-may I suggest you stop whining and complaining about it-as this will accomplish nothing. Instead; organize an effort to stop it and I will fall into the ranks as soon as I know about it.

And while your at it devise a system (Trucking) that deals with $$ when the wheels are turning you think will work with regards to the 3 million+ OTR Truck Drivers. What are the "Powers That Be" supposed to do..Leave it up to the Truck Driver? Please. I'm thinking that would be a scene from 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'. For those of you to young to remember that-sorry I cant help you.

I prefer paper logs and will be HONEST as to why. Honest-Very,very rare in this World...So I can "fudge" once in awhile..Whether to make it home i.e. not far,better T.S.,few more miles to delivery etc. Now then if a drunk or high 4-wheeler decides to commit suicide on my Truck/Trailer I fully realize the consequences will be on me..Right? Wrong? Dunno. One must play with the cards dealt..

Realizing the "dealer" holds all the Trump Cards I can honestly say I don't "fudge" much..Dispatchers and Brokers be ###### as I will NOT do time for them...However I am not a young man anymore;and if I were;in my case I'm not sure how I would play the "game".

Now then elogs while I was on them took aforementioned "freedoms" away..However all the risks as well. As stated,I would rather NOT be on e-logs,and if you agree at LEAST be honest as to why not. As much as we (I) like to thing all LEO's are incompetent and stupid-they are not.. They understand if they catch you for a log violation;it was not your 1st time doing it;Anymore than a person driving drunk..For every time he/she gets caught-probably got away with it 1000 times..

In conclusion: If YOU were the Emperor in charge of 3 million OTR Truck Drivers..What would YOU do? Just let them set their own hours?? What?

 

emperor ok i would go back to 70s get rid of all wannbes and dumbas who dont belong here,and let us truck,

 

i fail to see this efficiency thing you all brag about with elogs.

what efficiency???

your job is to pick up the load. drive down the road. and deliver said load. nothing hard about it.

if you didn't have the box. then you wouldn't have to worry about managing your time.

EFFICIENCY. managing your time better is efficiency. i don't think so. i can manage my time just was well. only i don't have to explain myself to the qcom.

like i said before. FREEDOM. to do my job THE SAFE WAY. on my own accord. WITHOUT the pressure of time.

oh yeah, i don't have to find a place to park my trailer. it comes home with me. no matter how far away i am when i run out of hours. and i don't have to worry about safety tampering with my logs either. i hit print. and hand them to the office when i get back. and they get filed. end of story.

 

Well, all of the discussion and arguments mean nothing on either side of the issue. E-logs are NOT mandated right now, and if they are, then all the arguments mean nothing. You will either make it work or you won't. Until then, everyone can do what they like, use them or not. That they will negatively effect some folks, that is true. That they are a good thing for some folks, that is true. Are they good for everyone? Of course not. There is not a regulation that has ever been written that is good for everyone. But in the final analysis, if e-logs become mandated, then all of this bickering about good or bad will go by the wayside as the only ones remaining are those that can make it work. I would think that those folks that have the most to risk here, would try to do things like running their paper logs the same way a e-log would do it to help them analyze what they need to do differently in case e-logs are mandated. Or they can sit here and complain, and if they are mandated, then try to learn to swim. Do what you think is best.

 

the efficiency assume you are attempting to follow the HOS for the first part. For the second part your company, needs to look at what they're doing, is there too much time between loads, stops, etc? There is more, but I'm tired and don't care.

 

i can see efficiency from the company when trucks are sitting. but not from the driver when there job is to simply drive. pick up. and drop off.

but one of my complaints is this. driving 11 hours over and over and over. i don't know how anyone can do it. cuz it's soooooooooo not healthy. and i refuse to do it. it's just flat out insane.

 

13 yrs in the industry? Surely you don't need me saying this, but........you know as well as I do that your "over and over" again stops on Day 7 if that's what your driving everyday, and more than likely, even sooner if you factor in your pre trips, fuel stops, shipper and receiver functions, post trip etc.

Also why you have a 10 hour break and regulate your hometime through your DM or FM. You have the ability to manage your time, diet, and sleep while you're out on the road.

Most of us would gladly take 11 hr runs constantly. That's how we make our payroll.

ETA: That is of course if you're an OTR driver.

 

OTR driver that works for mileage instead of percentage that is...

 

You are just funnin' me, right? Where in the reg does it say that each and every time the truck moves it must be on duty or driving? Not according to the FMCSA themselves in answer to Question 26 in the details of the regulations. You are allowed to use Pesonal Conveyance. i.e. you can drive the truck for personal use without being on duty or on the driving line. Of course, if certain conditions are met. I would have expected more from someone who is on a computer and has been driving for 12 years. Come on now, this is basic stuff here that only takes a quick look on FMCSA website to confirm. Here is the link. Better yet, here is a copy of the question 26 I referred to.....

Question 26: If a driver is permitted to use a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) for personal reasons, how must the driving time be recorded?

Guidance: When a driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work, time spent traveling from a driver's home to his/her terminal (normal work reporting location), or from a driver's terminal to his/her home, may be considered off-duty time. Similarly, time spent traveling short distances from a driver's en route lodgings (such as en route terminals or motels) to restaurants in the vicinity of such lodgings may be considered off-duty time. The type of conveyance used from the terminal to the driver's home, from the driver's home to the terminal, or to restaurants in the vicinity of en route lodgings would not alter the situation unless the vehicle is laden. A driver may not operate a laden CMV as a personal conveyance. The driver who uses a motor carrier's Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) for transportation home, and is subsequently called by the employing carrier and is then dispatched from home, would be on-duty from the time the driver leaves home.
A driver placed out of service for exceeding the requirements of the hours of service regulations may not drive a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) to any location to obtain rest.

 

The lanes haven't changed, the customers haven't changed. But the customers now are better at having loads ready to go and the scheduled appointments for delivery are respected and the loads get off in short order. And, we have set up more drop and hook situations, to cut out more of the delays. I go home as well whenever I chose and when it is practical based on that week's schedule. If the load is not scheduled right, I have been known to turn them down and select another load. All of this does require a little thinking and planning. I know that is not what most have had to do over the years, but it is either that or risk losing ground if e-logs become a reality for everyone.