I can't get any miles on E-logs!

If you were referring to me, that is not at all what I was saying! I wholeheartedly agree that drowsy drivers are patently unsafe!!!

What I, and most drivers, have a problem with is this "one size fits all" mentality. No matter what type of driving you do, local or OTR, Flatbed or reefer, no one is immune from fatigue. HOWEVER, passing arbitrary, unscientific laws is NOT the answer!!!

I don't know about anyone but me, but the last time I needed someone to tell me it was time to go to bed, I was 10 years old!!!

That being said, we wouldn't need to bend or break the rules if we were paid better!!!

THE ONLY REAL CRIME IN TRUCKING IS THE ANTIQUATED, AND ILLOGICAL PAY PER MILE SCAM THAT IS PERPETRATED BY THE SHIPPERS, BROKERS, AND TRUCKING COMPANY OWNERS!!!

Take away the incentive for breaking the law will always be far more effective than punishing those people who were too stupid or lazy to avoid getting caught.

 

The world isn't black and white so black and white rules are just an insult.

 

Really, when it comes down to it, we have a conundrum here. It is true that not everyone's clock is the same. We know that some are responsible for stopping when they need to, but there are plenty of examples where many don't. And there is the problem of knowing if someone has stopped properly to get the rest they needed. There has to be some sort of starting point to address all of this. The motoring public does have the right to assume that commercial drivers are resting when they should. True, they have their own issues, but until there is regulatory oversight on folks operating personal vehicles, it is not even worth wasting time on. No one is going to pass some sort of HOS for the average citizen.

So, given all of this, then please recommend a way, other than electronic logs, that there can be a confirmed, documented record that a driver stopped to take a rest break when needed. You see, the only other way, is the trust that what the driver is saying is true, yet we see a plethora of examples where drivers have falsified logs.

Until, or rather if, folks in this business start showing some real responsibility and serious professionalism in trucking, in both the cab and in the office, we are going to get all of this one size fits all crap and monitoring. True, the FMCSA and the advocacy groups are over reacting to the problem, but we sure haven't given much solid evidence that their over reaction is unwarranted. And the Illinois incident recently just fuels their fire. We have to start policing up ourselves before we can convince the powers that be to back off. Until we all start acting like adults instead of undisciplined adolescents, we are going to have someone trying to tighten the screws to us.

 

This is the real issue. E-logs are nothing but a distraction from the real issue. Pay and adequate time off are the real issue. The next time a company brags to a driver about paying $50000/yr, tell them that is fair for 4 days on/3 days home. Not 4 weeks out/4 days off. 4 weeks out should pay twice as much for the lack of time off. Sitting around on the road is not time off, should pay for that sacrifice, and they know it.

People cheat because of this.

I will admit the 14 hr rule does reduce fatigue. The old way tore our sleep schedule to pieces.

Now it's time to address pay and time off, at home, away from the truck and truckstops.
With the trend towards regional medium and short haul and relays, a 4 day on/3 day off salary pay system is very doable.

 

i dont know about you, but I make a bleep ton. if your company, broker, or freight contractor doesn't pay the rates you need to make a good living, then work with someone else! You are in control of your life and if you continue to take a low paying job, its no ones's fault but your own. i work nearly 70 every 8 days and I do way better then barely scrape by. I made so much as company drive i bought my own truck with no financing. Yea there are many thing like acidents and traffic out of your control. but before you blame them for your troubles and demand more money because its what you deal with....you need to do everything you have control over right.

There are tons of great companies out there, so if your not happy, jump ship.

 

I like how this industry pays. I get paid per load, not per mile, but in either case, its performance based pay. Its one of the few industries that pays you for the work you do. Its how all jobs should be. If you want to be paid for all the time you work, your/ mile rate would go down to compensate that. whoever is paying is not going to pay you more, they might just pay you less per mile and pay a few bucks for your non driving time. At the end of the load you still make the same amount. Its simple economics. HOS just needs to be enforced, the pay system doesnt need changeing. The only way not to encorage bending HOS is to get away from profromance based pay. Then your pay per mile goes down if you work hard and the slaker gets paid the same as you.

 

I got a business degree, I still drive a truck. Trucking is a REAL LIFE if you work hard and work smart.

 

I've said it b4, ill say it again. None of this matters. Elogs levels the playing field. Everyone has to play by the same rules. This means, some industries will be affected more then others. BUT, everyone in that industry is effected the same way. If all the drivers doing your job in your industry are restricted by elogs, then the rates in your industry go up to compensate. Its really simple economics. If there are 9 loads for 10 drivers, the pay will suck, because there's tons of competition. A driver/company will take a low pay load to avoid being the driver who gets nothing. If there are 11 loads for 10 drivers the pay is awesome, because no shipper wants to be the one that doesn't get their load shipped. they will pay anything to make it happen. Elogs limits everyone and levels the playing field. It also reduces the total number of hours all American drivers can drive. (once fully implemented) The supply hours of drivers goes down, but the demand remains the same. Just give it time for everyone to get on elogs and you will end up making the same for doing less work. If they limited us to 8 hours of driving a day, there would be such a huge demand that we would all make great rates and thus about the same for doing way less work. (higher rates X less hours = Lower rate X more hours). This only works though if there is no driver willing to work for less because he drives illegal on paper. For supply and demand to work, everyone need to be on a level playing field. if your industry is truly effected by elogs the way you say, your rates will go up to compensate. It may take time, but statistics and economics always work in the long run.

 

I dont care who you are, 1000 miles a day is just unsafe. I wanna see how safe you really are at the end of that day.

 

Your the driver. Your not forced to go any ware. If you know it will be unsafe or a road will be closed, stick up for yourself and tell your company how its gonna happen. You should never be faulted for making a smart business or safety decision and if you are, report um to DOT.