Electronic Logs are a Joke

What I don't understand is how is it ELOGs that are making drivers more unsafe? Isn't it really, when you get down to it, the ridiculous laws and regulations that are the real culprit? All ELOGs do are force you to comply with the stupid laws. With paper you end up cheating the system. How does that make any sense really?

Maybe, just maybe, the industry can come up with some common sense rules that are driver/safety friendly that can work well with an ELOG system. Then in the process you can eliminate all of the paper cheats that got us into this mess in the first place.

 

Elogs are a recording device plain and simple. Just like paper. Neither can kick u in the butt and make u do anything. I don't drive as a slave to elogs. I start my time when I need to and legally can and I finish my day the same way. Ran the same if I was on paper or elogs. I don't think they ought to be forced on o/os. If ur company driver and they make u use them. Take it up with them.

 

problem em is when it comes to companies whether your an oo or company driver expecting one to utilize all their hours. And here lately companies are cracking down on this issue. For example lets say you started at like 4am and you had to drive to get your load and then took your 1/2 hr break so you finish the day at like 3pm. Companies want you to just utilize your 10 hr break and start running again which means starting out at 1am. Now I don't know about you but I really don't like driving the midnight or 1am shifts into the next day. So with e logs you are forced to do this where on paper one doesn't have to do this.

i am a fan of both elogs or paper but elogs come up short when companies start forcing one to start moving when one may be tired and if they don't either take loads away as punishment and or threaten to write you up. (I would tell anyone let a company write you up for taking too long on line 4 or for taking more time then the 1/2 hr break and take this evidence to dot it will be the only way to get companies to quit threating drivers who try to follow the rules and what their bodies tell them,)

 

Keep the 14 hrs but return the ability to stop the clock when you go off duty like it used to be with the old 15 hr system.

Could you please explain the old 15 hour system? I started driving with the current hours of service rules.

 

See, mine has never forced me to start my time right after 10 hour break. I do it alot but I don't have to. They trust me to start my time when I feel its necessary to do so to get load delivered in time.

 

Look, it's no secret that some of the big players have people fudge, fix, alter, whatever you want to call it... e log/gps data, to bring it in compliance. Comprehend that? His observations, as well as mine, are the only explanation... OR they would be in violation. E-log's in this sense are effectively removing the drivers control and putting it on the carriers pencil pushers. The old, "Run the load, cause you now have hours... or clean out the truck, you're fired".

I'm not sure he was mad at other drivers, just mad at the situation.

 

Then you need to define yourself better instead of making blanket statements. Others can't always read what you mean to say, only what is written. You did not detail enough to let us know you had a grip on it, you just degraded others with you LMAO comment. So, no apologies here. You want to be treated like you know what you are talking about, then post comments that show you know what you are talking about.

 

The point does have merit. doing it by the minute does have some pluses to it. I like the e-logs, but I still have to side with the crowd that thinks there should be no mandate. Just because I like something, I really don't like gooberment coming in and forcing everyone else to do what I am doing. This pertains to e-logs, seat belts, and even ethanol in gas mandates. Just a less government kind of guy.

 

Prior 2004, you were allowed to work (drive + on duty time) no more than 15 hours cumulative within a 24 hr day (midnight to midnight). You were limited to 10 hours driving within that 15 hours. But what you were able to do was take, for example, a 4 hour nap and it would not count against your 15.

To compare and contrast:
Pre 2004, you could start at 0400 drive for two hours, take 6 hrs to load, and could legally drive 8 more hours.
Post 2004, you would start at 0400, drive two hours, take 6 hrs to load, and could legally drive only 6 more hours.

Another way of saying it, today the 14 hr clock starts when you begin and doesn't stop regardless of what you are doing. Back then, the clock only moves when you are working but not when you are eating, taking a nap, or just relaxing.

Back then you did your best to make sure you were off line 4 as much as possible.

So now today we have everyone rushing around because the clock don't stop and anytime not driving is time wasted.

 

The problem is not elogs, paperlogs or DOT.

The problems is people, people are basically dishonest and do not like anything that gets in our way to do way we want when we want.

Safe or not, well I 've been around long enough to have had dispatchers and company owners tell us (the drivers) deliver on time on your out of work, and back in the day they could keep you from driving for someone else, actually they still can.

Elogs is more of a friend to the driver than it is to the company. It can protect you or hurt just depends on how you choose to use it.

By the way if the office edits the elog it time stamps the entry with who, and why the correction is made. It is also considered a flag to DOT in an audit. Drivers can not edit the drive line.

Anyway this debate will go on endlessly.