ELD Mandate....Any O/O's left the business because of it?

If I'm not griping about things, that's pretty much what folks tell me lol

 

I think if a truck can't pass with ease, he/she should not even think about passing. I'll get off my cruise to let someone pass. Just to keep traffic flowing.

 

Well, yes. At least the last 7, which is the limit of my experience. 2015 was a good year too, but not as good as this recent market boost.

My experience doing this is a lot less deep than many who are participating on this discussion. However, studying and predicting trends is something I was doing at least 10 years before entering this industry.

What you have probably also discovered is that people tend to stretch the truth and exaggerate things on the internet. Yes, I'm saying that LOL. Sure there's a unicorn rate here and there. Sure there's some experienced hands that know where the honey is. But most of what you're reading is bee ess. Or someone that misrepresents the facts. If I had a dollar for every time someone says I take home $_____ I could retire on just that.

Another thing you may not have reached yet is a level of time in business to come at a broker with a heavy reputation behind you. IMO this happens at about the 5 years mark. When their screen pop displays who you are and your carrier background, they know you're no rookie or fly by night before you even say hello. That is, if you haven't already established all that with previous hauls for them.

The load board rate tools are just that: tools. Pay more attention to changes than actual values. Also helps to remember spot rate means "on the spot" as in right now. If you're not turning the key to go get it right now, every hour or day in advance reduces the risk, and consequently the reward. So a lower rate.

What's happening now is a seasonal lull before the harvests start moving north. Why would a van carrier care? Because a reefer is also a van. I hauled a dry load last week that paid ok. In a couple months I won't even look at that, which will tighten truck capacity in that van lane by two trucks.

Point is there are a lot of dynamics to get to what you ought to quote on a line haul. I've followed your posts and think you're doing ok, no matter what others seem to believe. Don't be too hard on yourself. Stay at it and be a student of what other people are doing to succeed. Maybe it all won't work for you. Just pick what's a good fit and try it out.

Like nobody ever saw that coming?

That's because 99% of the trucks coming through on I-77 only see all the billboards for the Tamarak Service Plaza and drive right past many far better places to stop for the night. The place I usually stop on my way northbound not far from there, I've only seen full once in the 100 times I've spent the night there, and it didn't happen until after 2200.

I do agree with what you're saying in general. What I find amusing is that the clock still has 24 hours on it, same as before the ELD mandate. And now suddenly people need to be off the road at a special time? Double-u tee eff?

 

Ahhh but the ATA and the FMCSA will soon have us all limited in the name of safety. So all you Elog proponents better not whine. Safety safety safety protect the soccer moms from the evil trucker with the perfect safety record

 

Hahaha no you won’t. Not when there’s 10 trucks behind you all doing 62 that pull out to pass you when you slow down. It’s ok though because the ATA and the Govt know best

 

“Like nobody ever saw that coming?”
If course there was talk, but I dismissed it as exaggerated fear mongering. I guess I believed in the land of the free where the good Are rewarded for their effort but I am left to shake my head in disbelief when the exact carrier they say they want on the road i.e. the safe one, is the one being targeted for more detailed inspections because he runs paper. When they rolled out CSA and safetstat they were supposed to know who the bad guys were and the good guys were going to get a green light. Yeah right more lies. This is 1930’s Nazi Germany all over again

 

Safety is important in this business. One wrong decision can cost lives. Lot of truckers are safe and obey the rules , some aren’t, still tailgating and cutting people off. Here’s an example, I drive on the same strech of the road every day, there is big sign saying no truck left two lanes and it is painted in the lanes as well. So we have big shot truckers who don’t give a #### and travel those lanes anyways. So now what is happening is we have commercial enforcement vehicles there watching everything because of the few outlaws. ELD’s are here and will stay here get used to it. If you want to run paper log fine, but you will be scrutinized more then an ELD guy.

 

I'm talking about now, when a truck is trying to pass you and they're not going but 1 mph faster than you.....you know when it takes someone numbers mile to pass. Yup. The government knows best. You and everyone else voted them in because you thought just that.

 

You say one wrong decision can cost lives you're right....but one wrong decision is enough create trouble for everyone involved. Those wrong decisions by a few selfish people causes new regs for everyone. I can't be mad at them. They have an obligation to do what's best for society. I don't always like it, but if they didn't do anything about anything we would be having a different set of gripes. I don't think it should make a difference how you log your time, but what can we say. It's nothing we can do about it.