unique E-Log question

You were simply doing it wrong before; now you'll have to follow the actual rules. The rule for multiple stops in one municipality is that you can aggregate the time spent driving and the time on-duty, but your logs are supposed to reflect the actual time spent in each duty status.

Part 395 HOURS OF SERVICE OF DRIVERS

§ 395.8: Driver's record of duty status.

Guidance

Question 6: How should multiple short stops in a town or city be recorded on a record of duty status?

Guidance: All stops made in any one city, town, village or municipality may be computed as one. In such cases the sum of all stops should be shown on a continuous line as on-duty (not driving).The aggregate driving time between such stops should be entered on the record of duty status immediately following the on-duty (not driving) entry. The name of the city, town, village, or municipality, followed by the State abbreviation where all the stops took place, must appear in the “remarks” section of the record of duty status.

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/395.8?guidance
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I'm not sure why this is so hard. The rule has always been if you have multi pal stops in a city you had to show all your drive time. Elogs just keeps it accurate. Easy peasy

 

Welp......that sums it up right there. I guess this is an example of why the DOT feels that elogs are necessary. People like the OP and his company have been flagrantly violating the rules, for years by his own admission, and the DOT wants to stop it.

And for what it's worth, the day a company told me that they expect16 hr days would be the day I found a new job. I start to get grumpy if my days go over 9 hrs.

 

I think this is not at all one of the reasons the DOT wants elogs. First, elogs have been requested by Congress. They wouldn't know the difference between someone logging driving time as on duty and vice verse. There have terrible accidents caused by a driver having too few hours break between driving time. You know, a guy driving from California to Chicago, and getting a total of 15 hours off duty.

There is a bigger violation that elogs still allow than logging driving across town as on duty, not driving, which, btw, is what local drivers do, if they are less than 100 mile radius and finish within 12 hours, and that is logging on duty, not driving as off duty or sleeper berth. This decreases your 70 and if it is a block of 2 or 8 hours, can be used to complete the 10 hour break.

No, the government, and all advocating for elogs, except those in the elog business, act in a way that shows they think elogs will stop a driver from continuing after the hours expire.

 

your original question has been answered, but elogs do give you an advantage in one way.

HYPOTHETICALLY of course

you can save dramatic amounts on your 70

so you drive up to a stop (driving) you stop and start unloading (on duty) and well, you get so much help that you aren't doing anything and are just sitting there well that's off duty. boom, no time off your 70

HYPOTHETICALLY of course.

 

I'm not sure I see how elogs will change your situation. .. rules now say add up on duty time and driving time and you may show as blocks because it is impractical with 15 minute increment intervals ... elog will just do it all to the minute. ..same result ...

I'd say get an app and try it on your phone at the same time right now but don't show the office or a cop and see if you can do it. Just so you know what problems may arise when the mandate comes.

 

I run elogs and the way ours work is we can drive 1.5 miles before driving kicks in.we usually only have one to four deliveries a day. I usually go off duty after getting through gate BS and we can maneuver and park without going on driving line.i go back on duty when finally get to hit a dock.in the case of multiple docks in same location I just stay on duty. I think it is the way each individual software is written. I would not like software like some that puts you on the driving line when you move the truck.our company also gives us 40 miles each day off duty PC so we can bobtail to go eat.

 

That is a good idea. For those that are wondering, just try it this way and see how it will work, how one can modify what they are doing to make it work, whatever before the mandate fully kicks in. Why wait till the last minute?

 

current e-log software has some parameters set by the motor carrier, such as when the truck goes to drive status. My company it is 5 miles, some it is as soon as the truck moves, and everything in between. The new rules specify clearly the device will register line 3 drive status at 5 mph, no distance involved. That will make things tougher. There is also a provision for "yard move" that I don't completely recall but it would affect you once on private property. Also time stuck in traffic amazingly enough will be on duty not driving. That is a huge change from when ANY time in the driver seat was on duty even if you were parked and sleeping (ask some LTL drivers about those tickets in rest areas).

Rather than speculate, everyon can, and probably should, just read the actual regulation and end all debate. Current methods of doing things will not work for many people once everything is in effect and all ELD systems are essential identical in how they record our time.