ELD BECOMES LAW IN 60 DAYS

You said it right there. They hire kids, teach 'em just enough to get a CDL, send 'em down the road with a load, pay 'em almost nothing, and, since they don't know how to log correctly, they throw a nanny-box in there to tell them when to drive and when to sleep. Then, since those of us that have been around a while can do a log book AND safely tend to the job at hand, they feel like they are losing loads to us. Well, that obviously isn't fair, so they whine and cry about "leveling the playing field" with elogs.

 

I am aware of that, I only added that part because someone was for sure going to say "you can edit it". Point is- it will be mandated to for me run ELD as a driver/owner, but I can't (and won't) go in and edit as administrator with a note "it was just common sense".

I think I may have said it here earlier, but- ELD? Fine, I'll handle it, no biggie. I don't make the rules, just work with them.

 

And it really comes down to that. One can bury their head in the sand a wait for someone to kick them in the rear end, or they can work with cards they have been dealt and learn to play the game to succeed. ELD's are not all the scary or intimidating. When one starts using one, it does demand they become more efficient in how they do things. And one can start towards that efficiency while still on paper well in advance of having to get a box, so that when they do have to put the box in, it is a smoother transition.

It is just fear of the unknown that drives the diatribe that goes on against ELD's. Most folks who have used them, even those that have decades of experience with paper, have grown quite comfortable using ELD's. It sure isn't about not being able to figure out a paper log as has been implied. That is just a belittling comment made by folks who have a irrational fear of the unknown. I have been driving since 1982, and I have been using ELD for the last 4 years. I have no desire to return to paper. Sure, it was a little strange in the beginning, but has worked out well.

Actually, my biggest beef was with the "only one 34 hr reset in 168 hrs" along with the "two periods of 0100-0500 thing" that went along with it. Well, those two are out now, hopefully never to return.

As for "editing" ELD log data. The only thing I do "edit" is if I, say, go to on duty to do a post trip notation when I get home and I forget to go back to off duty for several hours. Hey, I'm home! I am not concentrating on a log! Later when I find out I didn't switch status, I go in and edit things back to what they should be and get all the time back as off duty. There are sound reasons for editing log data that has nothing to do with some nefarious "cheating" thing. I may drive to some location and when I stop, I forgot to go to off duty. The log will automatically go to on duty when I shut the truck off. Later before I take off again, I see what I did, so I edit the log to reflect the time as off duty, which it was. I make a notation as to why the log was changed and carry on. There are many other examples that one can come up with to "edit" an e-log that has nothing to do with any kind of fudging or cheating. It is allowed even under the new ELD mandate. Only part that cannot be edited is driving time.

 

Cowpie, with all the respect due a hand of your status, I respectfully disagree. The whole reason we are now having these regulations shoved down our throats is because these huge companies and their driver mill CDL schools couldn't keep themselves out of trouble because their drivers couldn't log correctly. The roads are less safe now than they have ever been, and the more they force this electronic crap on this industry, the more older hands are gonna bow out, and the roads become even LESS safe.

As for fear of the unknown, as it stands now, I have nothing to worry about, because my truck is old enough to be exempt. But that doesn't mean I'm ok with this regulation. They are steadily making the trucking industry, which used to be dominated by dedicated, hard-working, professional drivers, into a kids game. No skill needed. Got a babysitter for everything. Next thing you know they'll be pushing speed limiters on us. What's next?

With all that being said, I have no problem with elogs as long as they aren't forced on us. I can see how it could make life easier, and save a log violation now and then due to an honest slip of the pen. It's kinda like the "paper atlas vs GPS" debate. The fact is, as long as a person knows what they are doing, either way works fine. So please don't think I'm here dogging those that like the elogs. If you like them, and they work for you, that's great. But they certainly shouldn't be mandatory.

 

I agree with you, but an 8/2 split would have cost you all of ten or 15 minutes of time the next day if on e-logs.

I keep hammering drivers to always take a 2 hr break rather than an hour or an hour and a half. Most can't figure out a split sleeper to saver their life.

 

Shooter, I have not argued one way or the other regarding who was behind the mandate, only that it does not have to be that big of a deal for those that truly want to make things work. You are confusing the mandate with who was behind it. I fully acknowledge that the ATA, TCA, etc were all pushing for this. That is not related in any way to any point I was making.

So, respectively, your disagreement is unfounded. We don't disagree on why or how the ELD thing came about. That is not the issue. It is here, so how do we deal with it. That was the sole focus of my entire comment. We can cry in our beer over how it came about and waste all of our time on that, or we can now find solutions that work. I am for the latter, since we can't do anything about the former.

When I was in the military, I didn't waste a lot of time focusing on the political back end crap that was behind why I had to go up a hill and dislodge an adversary. I just concentrated on getting the job done with all the resources I had and keep as many people on my side alive in the process. We can all sit around and whine about how the ELD thing came about later. It is here now, and all I am concerning myself with is making it work, sharing ideas on how to do that, and helping those folks out who are also doing the same thing. Basically, since we have an ELD mandate now, the focus should be... lead, follow, or get out of the way.

To that end, I have already downloaded all 516 page of the new ELD mandate and already I am finding a lot of stuff that dispels a lot of myths that are getting thrown around the internet and on forums like this. Haven't read it all yet, but have covered a lot of the major aspects thus far.

 

Sorry but I've got to disagree with you, these regs we are having to contend with these days is because of there who's whited to cheat and have no idea on when to stop their rig and get some sleep, and ended up harming others

 

Maybe not the best example technically speaking. I used the split a couple of weeks earlier when I stopped and had lunch with a buddy I hadn't seen in a long time, but I drove another 2 hours or so after that- not 5 miles down a back road in nowhere USA.

 

What is it again you are disagreeing with me on? I am still confused what it is you are disagreeing with me on. I have stated that the major players in trucking were behind all of this ELD thing, and have not even talked about the why's of how they are. I haven't even addressed how folks have been doing things on paper. I only discussed how to edit a log entry on an ELD and how the ELD mandated doesn't have to be as intimidating as it sounds if people would start modifying and getting more efficient at how they do things now, while on paper, before they have to actually put in an ELD.

I realize your, and Shooter's, outrage over who what behind it and why. But you are wasting that outrage on the wrong person. We are not in disagreement. I have gotten beyond the who is behind it, and now am only focussed on how to work with it. It is here, it is real, and it has to be dealt with. I am not even arguing over who was behind it or why anymore. It doesn't matter at this point.

 

This was not a disagreement with you, my reply was to shooterk2