DOT Proposes Use of Electronic Logbooks to Improve Efficiency, Safety in Commercial B

E Logs make everything better. Now stop all the crying before I shut this thread down.

 

Then how is it, owning my own truck and using an e-log for over 2 years, that I am still in business?

 

That was 12 pages of intelligent conversation. For a minute I felt like my CB was on in a truck stop.

FMCSA proposal http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu...ings/proposed/E-Logging-and-HOS-documents.pdf

FMCSA's whole justification for having the authority to circumvent the 1995 law that prevents an unfunded mandate by the Federal Government is "Gross costs, however, are expected to be more than offset in savings from paperwork burden reductions." They are claiming you'll come out ahead by not having all that pesky log paper to deal with along with some mythical numbers that claim savings through Safety.

Another note worthy change will be that the ELD must be fully integrated to the engine so it can track engine starts and stops. Ie: tracking all of your idle time which is logged as event. The event has time/date/gps location information. Now say you are parked in a blessed no idle zone. See where this is going. Further evidence is in this statement in the proposal "If FMCSA had authority to control CMV emissions, the Agency could prohibit idling or require drivers to choose an alternative such as electrified truck stops or use of auxiliary power units, both of which reduce idling emissions." There is more in the proposal than simply tracking HOS. It has to ability to open up new levels of enforcement and regulation if the EPA gets inclined to create more behavior modification for the green agenda.

The proposal also sets standards for all ELDs on how they will function.

MAP-21 will require by law the implementation and compliance within 2 years after the rule is finalized and entered into the Federal Registry. According to a few a best guessers that would put full ELD sometime 2017. Since the law suits didn't stop the last HOS change that FMCSA had no legal reason to change, I'm guessing they won't stop this either. Legislative action is about the only thing I could see and there doesn't seem to be enough support or interest on Capital Hill.

Personally I have used and don't mind E-logs. I like the general idea of E-logs but with an HOS that's as dysfunctional as the people who implemented it, its bound to create more problems than it solves. The Feds are determined to make this happen and eventually they will. I'm betting it is this current version that will get rammed into existence without much concern to public comment. The big players in the trucking industry want it. The transition is going to suck. There is little discussion about parking issues at the Regulations level. We can all see that parking will get worse after the implementation. Somewhere I saw the FMCSA mention the problem with Detention at shippers/receivers. Not sure what they can do about that. The industry could fix it if they'd all charge for detention. Bottom line is we are receiving from which we have been electing to Washington. Big Government types.

Happy travels and Safe roads drivers. Sleep sound knowing our Government is hard at work protecting you from yourself while separating you from that burdensome load of money you could have spent better yourself.

 

I'm a proponent of EOBR-E-Logs....... Where they are needed. If a company, truck or bus, continues to constantly not just break HOS laws, but do so blatantly, then it is what it is and they've earned that EOBR status. They don't work in all applications though. And that's the truth. But where do you see the most and worst violators??? A lot of the "Fly-By-Night" companies. While I do well on E-Logs, and yes I do make more money, I get that it's not a one size fits all approach that will work. I make more money by the drivers who can't manage their time, I end up getting better loads, and that's how it works for me. It cuts my competition within the company.

 

This jibber from the article is also known as "patronizing". Those who have done it both ways, know that we do the same paperwork. Whatever paperwork you save with elogs, the company will now have you entering your loading/unloading info thru the Qualcomm (or whatever). You either peck it out on a cumbersome horribly designed keyboard, or with a pen and paper. In fact, I was doing both on elogs. When filling out a driver report form, you're just re-writing what you entered on the computer. With log books with pre-printed company address, you draw a line and write down where you stop. Write the mileage and sign. Fill out your DVIR, detention, etc with a pen, or peck it out on a computer. What's the diff? IFTA logging is the only paperwork you save on elogs, and how much time are you really saving?

I would also propose a seismic device in the truck, that could provide a readout of your 10 hr brk. After experimenting, there would be statistics that could show that any slight-but-rapid-rocking of the truck for a period of 5-15 minutes during breaks, could predict a crash on the next driving shift. Or safer driving. Either way, you could come up with rules for "that".

 

Because you are smarter than the average crybaby that only wants to take the easy route. Cheating. Same crowd that was peeking over your shoulder in grammar school.

 

You came up with that answer with all of 3 years exp.your the problem sad to say

 

Bring on the robot trucks. They 're coming. Zero complaints and zero demands.

 

I wonder if the robot will know where to park the truck, unlike some drivers today.

 

The FMCSA proposal is only 262 pages long. GR8 provided the link above. I suggest everyone download it. There will be a quiz.