Transition to EOBR

Did it ever occur to you that they might be running you regionally because they get better rates that way? Companies don't care if you make money as long as they make money.

 

Our terminal regional drivers get more miles and better pay than megacarrier OTR drivers . We'll do a 2 1/2 day 1500 mile trip , come home for the night then do a 2,000 mile turn . 3500 miles in legal 65-68 hours .

 

And that is why I started running more regionally back at the turn of the century till now. I get better rates for the shorter runs and the elog I use does not hinder me. I keep everything, generally, within a 500 mile radius of the house. By the house during the week and off weekends and make as much or more than I did OTR out for weeks. Even the new HOS will have hardly any effect. I saw all of this coming a long time ago and adjusted accordingly.

 

We don't get paid per mile, but the shorter regional runs pay well enough that the lowered costs from said shorter runs equals more net. Elogs? It's nothing more than an automated, electronic log book. Just the same way your calculator is an electronic adding machine. If anything, you have to have a better knowledge of the HOS regulations, than the guys with a loose-leaf reset button.

Now that being said, I can see where Afrobat has a bad taste in his mouth for the whole deal. His carrier is misusing elogs to micromanage the drivers, prod them into bad decisions. Since load planning doesn't have their act together, it results in lowered profits. Yeah, I'd be PO'd too, but it's not elogs that is the cause of his problems. It's the really bad management at his carrier.

 

Of course I'm aware of that too. In that equation they also get on their side of the fence a daily charge to the customer daily trailer rental fees something that we surly don't get a piece of the action of.
Nice people to work with but to the driver's advantage naa it just ain't happening.

 

I know a guy who had a trucking company set up to run regional that paid similarly but he paid what the load was worth. Yes I know it sounds like a nebula or some kind of black hole but aside from dealing with diesel fumes inside the cab it wasn't too bad.

 

But it wasn't the mileage he was concerned about it was the amount of stops, he was moving furniture to small stores.

 

Not so much as bad planning but the miles per load that's where we take the hit.
And imo to encourage drivers not to take loads west they paid percentage for a long while but have switched to mileage, my guess is due to the expected rate increases coming soon as a result of the black box mandate. (Some loads did pay good but many didn't before someone screams percentage is better).
The miles not so good imo due to drop and hook and to make matters worse they want us to detail everything we do when we do drop and hooks NOW that's where the drag on our time kicks in! Imagine having to remember to walk around every trailer to get the license plate number and then walk to the left side for the trailer inspection date and then the bubble inspection too.
Now if I got paid by the hour heck yeah no problem but since I get paid by the mile you can keep that nonsense. Yes I know it should be done anyway but since the pay don't match the work by by Dart.
Besides I haven't seen my own mother in about two years so sadly I must go.
Nice people but too much hassle just not enough of a slice of the action.
I think dude that owns the company got burned real bad behind them lawsuits in the past and it's sad too they really are nice people to work for.

 

Most e-logs are part of a system that records your location and speed 24/7 as well as hard braking and percentage of time idling or using cruise control .

 

And I guess it also is relative to who owns the truck. I could really care less if the EOBR in my truck is telling folks in a back office how much I idle or use cruise. Here is a good one.... it also shows how much I am in the top gear, 0%, yet also shows I am getting almost 8 mpg. Bet that really throws them off a little and has them scratching their heads! And it is not an error! The truck has never been in the top gear since I ordered it from the factory, and it has over 92,000 miles on it now.