60+ Drivers Quit?

once you get some time behind the wheel shall we say 10 years or more. Then you can come back and tell me all about the trucking industry.

 

I got CDL recently but have been in trucking industry for 16yrs. my family has more than 200yrs of experience. i think that qualifies me to post here.

 

It's not EOBRs I have an issue with. It's the archaic, 1930s-type rules we have to deal with.

Yesterday, I needed to drive 332 miles to Charlotte to drop my trailer and head to the house. But because I only picked up six hours, I had to stop some 175 miles short and cruise in this morning. What does what I did a week ago have to do with my rest and alertness level today?

I understand there has to be limits, lest companies force us to drive 'til we drop. But this crap is just utter silliness.

 

The 1930's rules are not the ones in effect today but I understand what you are saying. I actually like the way things are now mostly.

 

The number one thing I love about elogs is that you never have to tell your dispatcher NO again when it comes to being forced to run illegal, then suffer the consequences if you don't. They don't even ask because you can't fudge and elog enough to run the "emergency favor" for dispatch.

I run 2800-3200 regularly on elogs. You just have to manage your time and learn how to "fudge" the elog. It can be manipulated here and there a few minutes on most systems. Just depends on how the company has it set up. This will only gain you about 2 hours max a week, but more than once I've pulled in the yard on Sat morning running 3200 miles and have less than 5 minutes on 70.

The other thing I like is when DOT asks to see your log book and you inform them you're electronic. The like it cause they don't have to try and calculate anything to see if you're running hot or not. Makes their job easier, which makes my day better

I never want paper logs again. Just my opinion, but you know what they say about opinions.

 

Hmm my BS meter just shot thru the roof!!

 

Ive been running elogs since Jan and know where I can fudge and where I cant and Im here to say that if you expect me to believe you run 2800-3200 "regularly" then I got a bridge in Arizona to sell ya. Maybe once in a while IF you stay out all week instead of going home but then the next week you will bump your hours all week and only get about 2200 if you're lucky. Realistically you arent going to average more than 2400 going home on weekends. Tell me different and I'll ssy youre full of it everytime.

 

I maybe should have given more detail. I run tanker for a private fleet for one of the world's largest food processors. About 95% of every load we haul is preloaded by the city drivers (alcohol and ethanol is live loaded due to 9/11 crap, and Lysine and fertilizer are live loaded due to the fact that the building is pull through with many spouts and city drivers can't drop tanks for preload.)

We go out loaded and come back empty 99% of time. About the only back haul I can think of is delivering to the Toronto area and going down to our facility in Windsor and wash and reload one of our loads coming back to the states.

I usually get in 2 loads a week, working Monday morning through Saturday morning. I spend about an hour a day doing pre trip, post trip, fuel, and misc activities on duty. Two days a week I spend about 2 hours unloading. One hour a day working for 6 days, plus 4 hours unloading equals 10 hours. That leaves 60 hours to drive the rest of the week.

My Rand Mcnally and my Qualcom say I average 57-58 MPH all week most weeks. That is around 3400 miles I could legally run in that 60 hours a week.

I guess thinking about it now, I doubt my miles could be ran at most companies (especially running flats - with all the tarping and securing.) Guess I'm lucky with my set-up.

 

That's a common recurring theme I constantly hear. But remember that not all of us "loose leaf" drivers work for companies like that. I'll do fine on Elogs someday when we actually have them installed because of my long length of haul. It would be quite difficult to do a bunch of 300-400 miles loads during the week and have to cram all of that dock time in.

I've been hearing next year for 4 years now. As to when they will be installed in my truck is anyone's guess.

 

Exactaly! You hit the nail on the head.