paper log or electronic logs?

This is what some people think and those who push them attempt to have people believe. In reality, the only thing elogs do is record your hours. They cannot prevent you from driving while tired. As I stated in earlier posts, I believe elogs can actually encourage drivers to push longer and while tired more so than with paper. The only one that can prevent a driver from driving while tired is the driver. Only the driver knows when he needs to rest or he has reached his limit. I have heard arguments about elogs preventing drivers from driving while tired, but it simply is not true. It may make some feel that by having a time monitor in the truck that the driver won't be driving tired, but there are other factors that enter into whether a driver is tired or not. There are days where I don't feel like driving more than 4 yours and other shere I could drive 16 hours. If we can legally drive as long as we want during a national emergency, then we should be able to drive anytime without having to worry about the hos.

 

There is some truth in that, but not entirely. Some companies can and do shut down a truck if elogs report over hours. Elogs can provide the DOT with prima facie evidence of a tired driver and put them out of service. Note, I am not saying that I am a fan of the system.

I agree with that. Good point.

Logs were never intended to prevent a driver from driving tired. They could never do that. They are there to prevent a company from pushing a driver to drive in a situation that is likely, or may be, a fatigued or tired situation. By mandating driving limits and breaks, a company could be restricted from pushing a driver to drive in conditions in which he is likely to be tired. That is all. It is a tool for a driver to regulate a company, not the other way around. That is why, until elogs, only a driver is to make entries in a logbook. Elogs have changed that. I am not a fan of that, and I tend to agree with your points but not in the idea that no limits should be placed on these companies.

 

When the situation is such that a driver needs Elogs, or the government in general, as a tool to keep the company from making them drive when they are tired and know they shouldn't drive, the problem is not the carrier, but the driver. I have had no problem in over 3 decades letting folks in the cubicles know when I could or could not drive, when I could realistically be somewhere, etc. I have never had my miles "shaved" for doing so, I have never been terminated, I have never had my rear hauled in on the carpet and chastised. But then, even though we have an understanding about such things, the carrier knows they can rely on what I tell them and I will be where I say I will when I say I will be there.

It truly is a sad thing, that some drivers have not gotten out of puberty yet and are intimidated by some nincompoop in an office. Just take the truck to the terminal, and clean it out if the folks in the office are not going to play nice and act like adults. I have done that only once in my driving career. Did not argue, did not holler and shout, did not waste any time over something that we were not going to come to terms over. I just moved on. The only way a driver can be "forced" to do anything is if they allow themselves to be forced. And at that point, they have no one to blame but themselves. But some drivers are like grade schoolers and need the government to protect them from the "bully" carrier.

 

Does anyone know how to do recap on logs...its very confusing to me

 

Hi real, that was always confusing to me too, like keeping score in bowling, never got the hang of that either. That's why e-logs, like automatic bowling scoring was just great for me

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4034448]Hi real, that always confusing to me too, like keeping score in bowling, never got the hang of that either. That's why e-logs, like automatic bowling scoring was just great for me[/QUOTE]

yup I never got the keeping score in bowling either lol....its like I know how but idk how

 

I'm on paper, I run 2500-4500m/wk and NEVER have to rewrite logs when the day is over. If they're not right by then, I'm running at a risk and I don't do that, if anyone does, they're stupid and deserving of a fine for not taking the couple of MINUTES it takes to keep it legal. People can try and make the claims all they like(because they have to, no choice, they can't escape the elogs), they CAN"T make the same on Elogs, I've seen way too many YTDs from people who use them and it doesn't pan out...Of course some will chime in and say of course they're "doing the same, hasn't changed a thing", if so, VERY rare bird, you're the exception or a liar, I've seen too many paystubs and heard way too many stories to believe otherwise. IF it was that good or even close, EVERYONE would want them. It's just not the case due to reality.

 

Any time the feds or some special interest group wants their pet legislation passed, they use safety as the reason. They never offer any proof of whether their legislation will actually make roads safer. We are expected to take their word that we will all be safer if we only pass their pet legislation. I am not a proponent of additional regulations, but in this case, I would like to see legislation enacted that would require anyone who wishes to push new or existing regulations would have to pay for an unbiased study to prove that their law is necessary and will do what they profess. For instance, one of the major reasons given for elogs is safety. Well, it should be a simple thing to prove. But, we would need to have a large enough study group and one that is diverse enough to make the study reliable. I was told that there was a study of 100 drivers from one or more mega carriers. That is not a real study. All it does is give a snapshot of a particular carrier. It would need to include a broad cross section of drivers with varying degrees of experience. When one takes a very small sampling of a major carrier, it is not a real study. A sampling should come by getting those who are new to those with decades of experience. We should see company drivers, owner operators, independents, small fleet drivers and those from the mega carriers for the study to be fair and reliable. There are between 3-5 million drivers in this country. Only using 100 drivers is not a true sample of this large of a population. You don't need to include all drivers, but the sample should be diverse enough to show a real trend.

I doubt that those who push a personal agenda would want to go to the expense to prove their case. Most could not prove the need, even if they did have the resources. When any special interest group pushes an agenda, especially without proving a genuine need, it costs this industry billions of dollars in compliance costs. When the hos are changed, carriers must spend resources retraining drivers and change how they deal with the new laws. Compliance and safety is one of the greatest costs of most carriers. When the rules change, then industry must also change and learn how to deal with the new rules. Little thought seems to be given when it comes to changing laws and regulations in the transportation industry, especially the trucking segment. I would like to see every driver in this country write their congressional representatives and encourage them to pass meaningful legislation which would prohibit any rules from being passed without first proving the need or supporting their agenda. It just seems that any special interest group can put forth an agenda any time they wish and there is little means of opposing them. We are the ones who must deal with these regulations, whether they make sense or not. Most who push their regulations have no experience in the trucking industry. It would be helpful if someone must show several years experience in an industry before they could be put in charge of the agency which regulates it.

 

Like people who aren't doctors or in medical field telling us what's best for us and our medical system? Or people that have never stepped in a cow pattie telling farmers how and what to grow? Uh oh, ignore those so this doesn't get moved to politics section...

 

I use Bigroad app for logs, it is not qualcom or peoplenet or whatever, it like paper log just on the phone, not EOBR. And I do to 2500-4500m/wk, just sometimes you short few hours to get home, then you must make corection.
I sleep when I'm tired.