Eliminate the FMCSA ELD mandate

I remember when I figured out what FCFS was when I arrived at the shipper!

 

If I need to work 70+ hrs per week in order to make ends meet, I'm either in the wrong line of work or I'm grossly underpaid for what I do. Hell, that could be cut to 50-60 hrs and I wouldn't care. The one that gives me the most trouble is the 14. If it worked more like the old 15 hr rule in that it only counted time on lines 3 & 4 instead of ALL time since first dropping to 3 or 4, it wouldn't be an issue. I hate showing up somewhere 3 hrs from home at noon for my back haul and told my appointment isn't for another 5 hrs...so I sit there, and by the time I'm loaded, secured, and ready to roll I have an hour to make it home. Once per week I can stretch it to a 16 hour day, but what happens if I'm cutting it close making it home and a cop decides to pull me over for a random roadside inspection? If I'm already past the 14th hour (still legal with the 16 hour exception) when I'm stopped, and the length of that stop will put me beyond the 16th hour by the time I get home, I'm in violation. You MUST make it back to your starting location in order to go beyond the 14th hour...so if I don't make it home that's a 14 hour violation. If I'm not back to be released from duty within 16 hours, then it is again a violation. So, if that 30 minute stop means I get home at 16:15, that's a violation. If he stopped me at 14:30 into my day, I was legal at the point when I was stopped, and legal to continue unless I can't make it home by 16. If I don't make it home and instead shut down where I was stopped, I've got 30 minutes of drive time in violation of the 14.

All when a reasonable load time would have had my day over and done with in under 12 hours.

If I'm running an ELD and I'm told my appointment isn't for several hours, well you're either going to have to work me in sooner or find another truck....because I'm going home.

 

Yep first come first serve and probably better have a guy to take over if you go to lunch too.....or I will get irritated about that. LOL.

If I even see or here appointment only I am turned off. In flatbed world, IMO, it does not work at all whatsoever and never will.

Also, places that like to wait until daylight to load/unload but every single piece of paper and a human on the phone said you unload at 5am?? Better put up bright tall lights like others do or I never want to see you again. Waiting for light is your problem not mine. Pay up and make your parking lot shine like day if that is what you need. Not my problem.

 

I tell you what man all of this is turning me in to the type of D&%#S I used to work for and leave the second I realized they were D&%*&S.

Now I can at least see why they got that way but hey they are still what they are....

 

I speak English, and normally don't have to worry about it... I always get kicked to the head of the line. Call it "White Privilege".

 

I started driving in '96 and have never heard the term "FCFS."

 

Really the only important terms in all of trucking are Tl LTL FCFS and Appt. only! LOL.