my thoughts on mandatory e logs

Is there a legal way in which you can annotate that you had to move the truck and then finish up your 10 hour break?

 

Not sure. I do know that the gps will record the move. On paper it never happened. In the event of an accident, a jury would crucify me. How does the truck driver win?

I'm not against the electronic part. I'm against the rigidity of the rules which do now allow for real world situations. I have a run I do where I arrive at the receiver in the middle of the night. When they come in at 6, they wake me up, tell me to back it in. Back to sleep, unloading takes a good 4-5 hours. Once empty I sneak around the corner to the truck stop which always has parking and resume sleeping til I feel good. None of that would be considered legally but I still get my rest. I'd just like an open forum with drivers and lawmakers to where we could put up a situation like this and say "how do you want me to do my job for this scenario?". Leaving it up to officer interpretation always makes the truck driver the loser.

 

It is EXTREMELY UNFORTUNATE that allowances are NOT made for both real world situations and general common sense. This puts the truck driver in a very bad predicament, especially one that could potentially cost the truck driver his or her job, or his or her CDL.

 

If Elogs are so perfect, then why are we required to carry a paper log backup?

IF ELogs are so perfect, then why, when a trucking executive from a large trucking company was asked if since they had Elogs, wouldn't it be easy to now go by hourly pay and not mileage. The Exec replied, "No, ELogs are not reliable enough to be used for hourly pay."

 

I have had to move occasionally while doing a 10 hr break. Similar to the Petro example above. I just move. If there is a risk of the elog triggering a drive moment, I just go to off duty driving and then back to off duty or sleeper. 10 hr break can include all sorts of off duty or sleeper or even all off duty. When I do this sort of thing, I don't make a note or flag on the elog. I just do it. Same thing if I am parked somewhere on a break and want to go get a bite to eat or shop. I just bobtail using off duty driving, make a note since it would be longer than just moving across a lot. Doesn't affect the 10 hr break one little bit. The fear over these things is really sad.

Gokiddogo, why wouldn't it be legal? You are on their property waiting to unload, you then back to the dock and unload, then you head over to nearby truck stop to sleep. I don't see an issue. Being on elog, I just show a 10 minute on duty when I get to the customer, I got to sleeper, then when they wake me, I back in to their dock (off duty), when they are done and I am empty, I just use off duty driving and go to the truck stop. I am empty, I am not under dispatch, I am not heading to the next load, etc. So off duty driving to a place to park and complete a 10 hr break is realistic.

Sho-Tyme, the reason to carry paper logs as back up is if the elog contraption takes a total dump and doesn't work. You have to have something to log your time when the computer crashes and burns. All systems fail eventually.

 

I figured it wouldn't be legal because of the act of waking up, moving onto their scale, backing to their dock, would be considered on duty time. The same for scaling out afterwards.

 

details, details, details...... would be your call. Might be technically illegal what I suggested. Would be on paper or elog. Thing is, some would have no problem fudging things a little on paper, but all of a sudden become a saint regarding elogs, all of a sudden worrying about legalities. No criticism of you in saying that. it is a general statement of many folk's comments around trucking on the elog thing. Not sure how anyone would be able to tell the difference but the driver if moving the truck was a legal off duty driving or a on duty move inside a customer lot. Long as it doesn't involve actual road time while you are loaded, then no harm, no foul is my policy. 3.5 years doing it on elogs, including audits, and haven't had an issue yet.

 

I know this is only partialy related, but I can't help myself. I keep trying to think of ways to make the Elog thing go away.

Has anyone thought of the American jobs that will be lost when they force us to switch from American made paper logs to the off-shore Elogs?

Maybe if enough of us contacted our congressmen we could do something!


I know, I know, it's just a pipe dream, but the people have triumphed over corporations before.

 

Are you concerning yourself over the paper mill workers in that comment? I wouldn't worry too much. We are flooded with so much paper from shippers and receivers that losing paper logs will not effect the mill workers.

But having the elog thing go away, I think that is a pipe dream. The ball is rolling pretty fast. FMCSA, ATA, TCA, most of Congress, and every two bit safety group you can name is behind the elog thing. It is just about done going thru all the government hoops and will most likely be mandated soon. There will be a time lag from final rule to actual requirement. Some estimate that it will be fully in place for everyone by fall of 2017.