ELD IS GOING AWAY !!!!!

Correlation is not causation

 

If what you're saying had ANY credibility, then there would NEVER be an elog-equipped truck at fault in a wreck due to a fatigued driver. That simply isn't the case. What elogs DO impact is drivers feeling pressed to hammer down because that clock is ticking. Drivers feeling pressed to push through fatigue because they don't have time to stop for a power nap because that clock is ticking and there is no "pause" on that 14 hour clock. If Walmart wasn't on elogs, perhaps that driver would have stopped for a nap instead of pushing on and slamming into Tracy Morgan's limo. Fact is, there are unintended consequences of strict enforcement that are FAR WORSE that a little fudging here or there in the name of safety. Yes, it is safer to stop when you need a break and take a power nap, even if that means blowing past the 14 by the length of your power nap...and then "adjusting" to make it look legal...than it is to push on driving tired trying to make it where you've got to get to up against a hard clock.

But hey, it's OK if you can't think for yourself. If you want to run elogs, that's your choice. Don't force your choice on me, though.

 

Not to mention, ELD's do nothing more and nothing less than hold a person to a set standard; in this case, the HOS. All complaints about safety, level playing field, etc should be directed at the HOS and the rules one is being held to, not at the fact they are being held to the rules.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not in favor of the mandate or more intrusion, I just think the anger is misdirected. Whether or not this is actually about safety in the industry is debatable and perhaps unknowable but given what the government and big corporations consider safety, its probable they think it is. Every industry has examples of this. Rules thought up by people either not familiar with day to day operations or those having an eye on efficiency and legal exposure.

Lastly, where competition is concerned, its been pointed out that the bulk of mega's operations are bumping docks with dry vans and reefers because that's the easiest and most idiot proof sector of the industry. Being the easiest also means that, all other factors being equal, it will always be the lowest paying. You want more money and less competition? Don't go for the low hanging fruit. Go for flatbed, tanker, hopper bottom, end dump, RGN, livestock hauling, oversize or heavy haul. The megas don't have their hand in those cookie jars to nearly the same extent because they require more knowledge and skill.

 

That needs thanking about a billion times.

65 in a 55... 65 in the construction zone... in the school zone... through the fuel island.

 

And how many old no name trucks passed me in California running 65 plus mph? Were they all fighting their elogs??

Elogs will hurt the drivers that stop at every exit to eat and nap.

If elogs are too expensive, then quit hauling cheap freight.

i can't wait until all these super cupcakes have to run elogs.
They can't drive 600 miles in a 70 mph truck in 14 hours, it'll kill them dead.

 

I may be a cupcake cause I won't run elogs but if 600 is the best you can do in a 14 hr day (11 driving) I would stay on the porch

 

Some things never change, lot of throttle jockeys today, and just as many maybe more when ELOG goes into effect. Use to run 600+ miles a day 25 yrs ago in a under powered 65 mph Cabover, I can only imagine the fatigue with these highly comfortable 500+ hp trucks. I could be wrong but I truly feel that Elog is going to create a new trucking game.... Beat the Clock.

 

Personally I prefer to run about 250 miles a day---at 5-6 bucks a mile---jus sayin.....

 

And yet that is exactly what the proponents of ELDs are saying; ELD = compliance = safety.

 

Data proves otherwise. The vast majority of big truck crashes today are those driven with ELD on board. Paperloggers generally drive when they are rested and rest when they are tired, then make the paper log appear legal according to the book. Can't get much safer than that.

Conversely, Eloggers, as soon as they start their clock for the day they are immediately staring at a 8 hour clock ticking down 7:59, 7:58 and so on ticking ticking ticking down down down, feeling stress anytime traffic backs up or a light turns red on them or an orange work zone speed limit sign ahead. Then a little touch of fatigue sets in from all the stress but the dispatcher has already calculated out that the driver need only one 30 minute break every 500 miles and delivery times are calc'd out to 58 miles per hour so the driver cannot even make that 30 minute break an hour or hour and a half if necessary without being late which piles on more stress and fatigue.

Someone else mentioned cost-- OOIDA has a contributor article from a small truck company with 55 trucks, they estimate pulling in $10 million in revenue for the year, capturing back 5% in profits. To outfit their 55 trucks with ELD will cost $103,000 or 20% of their profits. This amounts to a hidden tax that will financially crush them.