paper log or electronic logs?

A simple answer would be:

paper logs can be cheated, while e logs can't.

 

Uh....that's not entirely correct.

 

I can see how paper logs can be altered, cheated, or falsified.

However, how can E-Logs be altered, cheated, or falsified? Wasn't that the purpose of the federal government having the trucking companies install E-Logs, to prevent all this from happening?

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

MJE you're not a driver so I can see the confusion. You don't have to "alter" the log to cheat. There's 8,000,000 ways to cheat an e-log, and yes, falsification is one of those ways. I'm not going to get into it here because I'm not giving younger drivers/government eyes any ideas. But trust me. You can cheat these things. A whole lot easier than a paper log.

 

Some companies have the parameters set so you can cheat...or else they wouldn't have the parameters. You probably would be amazed how many people with e logs can drive around while in the sleeper berth.

 

Here is my 2 Cents....after years of running paper-logs in a governed trk, THE DRIVER IS THE ONE GETTING SCREWED ! Scenerio, Lets say YOU are in a governed trk, set at 62 mph and are on paper, and you are on a 480 mile trip, you better not log Line 3 at 7.75 hrs because that exceeds a 62 mph average. Paper has an advantage in a ungoverned trk !

 

Especially when there are people back at HQ who will go in and "edit" your e-logs when there's a potential legal issue... but that's only a hypothetical situation, right?

 

Elogs were originally pushed by a handful of major carriers and the ATA. Their initial reason was "safety" and "providing a level playing field." Neither is true. Elogs are a means to gain greater control over the trucking industry where a handful of major carriers dictate policy for the entire industry. Essentially, you have 10% of the industry dictating how the other 90% operates. Elogs are about control and money, lots of money. There are somewhere between 3-5 million trucks in this country. When elogs were first discussed, the cost I was quoted was between $1,200-3,600 per unit and a $45/monthly fee. I think some now offer equipment for less, but it is still a lot of money. If you do the math, this involves billions of dollars. THAT IS THE REAL REASON FOR ELOGS!! There is no tangible evidence that proves that elogs make roads safer. In fact, I think you could make a case for roads being less safe using elogs. Smaller carriers are at a disadvantage using elogs, as are independents and owner operators. Elogs can be altered, contrary to what the government would have you believe.

 

E-Logs are not the same thing as a ELD.

E-Logs like Drivers Daily Log or BigRoad are just an electronic way of doing paper logging and just as easy to cheat with.

The FMCSA is thinking of requiring ELD's and their recently proposed mandate of them would make it much harder to cheat with as they want to require that all original information is saved if any edits are done. They will record any time the truck is even started let alone moved.

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