ATTENTION DRIVERS USING EOBRS: What information is on your cab card?

"Audit mode?" Ain't no such thing on a Qualcomm. Level II last week, the officer asked me to write down the hours for my 11, 14 and 70 when we returned from the walk-around for the report. He never looked at the unit.

 

99 % of the dot officers couldn't read a paper log until the e-logs became the vogue....so, now you have to train them at your expense. Will never run an e-log and take a 25-30% cut in pay. If any of you super truck e-log drivers disagree, than you don't know how to run a paper log, nor will you ever achieve the amount of money it takes to make a decent living. If you think a 2,000-2500 a month is good money---than the owner of the company you drive for, will put you on his list of favorite drivers....broke, frustrated, aggravated.....! AWWWW.....! The frustrated cry of the bottom feeders>>!!

 

I got a warning from this DOT witch because I didn't have my fancy laminated elog cab card with pretty pictures. So yes, it's a good idea to have it. She didn't have the slightest interest in the actual unit whether it was working or not or whether I had switched it on. No, she wanted to make sure I had the card. I guess that was the level of her intelligence. Duh !!

 

Yes, it is required to have the card.
But if you know how to use the QC already the card is pretty redundant.
I have it in one of the cubbies, but I don't think I have ever more than glanced at it. It covers basic things that we already know.

 

The only thing I've been asked in 4 years on elogs, is do I have legal hours at that point in time, and once... once... what time was it when I arrived at a rest area. Of course they don't have any interest in "looking at it." The presumption is that elogs eliminates almost any chance of cheating on your hours. In fact the system doesn't, but it closes the window on how much you can fudge it. Running on off-duty driving when you're out of legal hours under load is the only way to really cheat... which is why they just want to know if you have legal hours to drive on.

What they can get you for is not having a current cab card available, and enough paper log sheets for you to complete your trip IF the elog device fails. That stuff is mandated in the regulation, and it's an easy way for them to stick you with a ticket.

 

I say let the DOT coddle the illusion that we can't cheat on elogs. I, for one love to create any illusion they like. But in essence I guess the DOT man isn't as bright as we make him out to be. If you've ever received a hand written ticket by one of these gorillas, I can barely read his pathetic handwriting. My young son could do better. So over estimating his intelligence isn't a good idea. I'll keep on trucking and try to create another illusion within. That these stupid people in the FMCSA know what they're doing, and their pathetic attempt at regulation in the name of safety hasn't affected me one iota.