Elogs for 1 or 2 truck operations...

I got a level 2 a couple of days ago. He says that "I have a question on your log book." Then he flips to the page and says you were in Park City all day here, flips the page, but you started this day in Cheyenne. How can that be?

Ummm because that was the day before? Oh.

We don't need elds to be compliant. Good thing my truck is a 93. Paper logs will probably get a closer look than they are now but who cares.

I like the questions like How did you get from here to here so fast? 80 mph truck with the left door closed.

 

I figure e-logs are coming to all the trucks even the older ones that are currently exempt.
I agree that the I need paper for wiggle or fudge factor will never hunt. Half the industry running out to buy a 99 or older is a bad sign. Me I have ran old iron all my life have no desire to change.

Here are my concerns should I get tangled in the web later. The device itself is just something else I have to upkeep. I know it isn't supposed to go down we all know they do. Getting the info out of it for the folder in the house something else I have to do. If it goes down with 6 days info in it that I can't recover what then? I have two trucks I'm the only driver. Some times when swapping trailers in the middle of the week it's just easier to take the other truck. So will one device work for the two? Do I just move it? If not then what about my previous 7? Paper rods? If that's the case just grabbing my book like I do now is a whole lot easier. It's just something else to deal with. For an independent that already has enough to deal with I just assumed they not force more #### junk on me.

 

Your log is being stored in the cloud, somewhere on the web, so if you swap trucks, just login to your profile and yours logs are there, simple as that. Also the clouds usually have high redundancy, all the data is backed up, another copy of it is on the device in your cab, you also can manually back your data to like a flash drive from home computer, so there is no really need to do hand written backups. I'd believe ELD providers guranty 99.99% uptime, and 100% data safety, nothing to be worried about.
The only thing I'm worried about is thats you are correct, that sooner ore later they will exclude the exemptions, and it might be just much sooner than we expect.

 

It's gonna happen I have no doubt. I don't understand the #### cloud in my phone but guess I'm gonna have to learn.

 

I won't ever buy the 99.99% uptime. I have seen that advertisement way too many times. Every time a manufacturer comes out with a new engine design they really beat the uptime drum. How often does that really happen?

A flash drive from a computer? So what just hand that to the guy doing my inspection? Cause I read something about if a guy couldn't print his last 7 on elog's then he is outta service. I don't currently have a printer in my truck. So something else to buy maintain possibly several times till I find one that I get along with. Also how big are these devices. I'm assuming they mount between the seats so you can access the buttons easy? I'm not sure as I have never seen one. I do know I'm already challenged for room in my older Peterbilts. So another possible but inconvenience forced upon me.

My deal is I have a system in place that works for me with paper. The only log violation I have ever had was not having one. That was years ago and I was borderline on the radius. He said I needed it I thought I didn't. Till I prove I can't be trusted why force my hand. It's not that I can't learn nor adapt. We all know that it just takes time. I really don't have a lot of that to spare.

 

I'm just getting started, and that right there is my biggest gripe. I'm not currently on paper, but I have a system with Eclipse logs, as well as Garmin gps for IFTA miles. For the benefit of anyone who cares, I'll share the first part of my exploring the world of using an ELD.

I picked up a Rand McNally 8" tablet and ELD-50 kit at TA last week. It's been miserable, but not the way you'd think. The navigation system is brilliant. I like it better than the Garmins. And that's it for the good part.

There are configuration problems with my ELD account. The supplier hasn't exactly had me as a priority, which concerns me deeply. They haven't got me riled enough to dump them and cut my losses just yet, but it gets closer every day. Two main (dealbreaker) issues are: 1. Cannot change an incorrect company time zone, 2. Cannot edit anything, even a strictly non-driving time period. That's a full fail, no matter how these companies soft sell it.

From a pure driver perspective, I mainly have to re-learn my logging habits. With paper, when I make a stop, I usually do my logging right before i leave. Back in the pre-trip and/or fuel interval, check it twice, then go. With an ELD you have to think and act ahead of it instead. Mainly with regard to what minute you choose to go on duty and begin your 14.

Far as fudging goes, I've managed to cure 95% of that with scheduling my trips better by working with the broker or shipper. It works best if you know what to ask for in advance. The main trick being to plan around the start of your next day when leaving the shipper. Which isn't much different than paper, you just have to actually run it that way. If they won't work with you, then you can always say no thanks or ask for more money due to tying up the truck an extra day.

You also have to get out of the habit of burning your 14 hour clock too early. If you have an 8 hour driving day, make sure you get the bulk of it behind you before you stop and take a long lunch or a nap. Sure as you don't, you'll come up on a road blocking accident and your timers keep running.

Good news bad news is no more worrying about if your toll card, pre-pass, fuel card, or donut and coffee purchase agrees with the timeline and location. It will, every time.

Understand any exemptions and maybe even print out the regulation just in case. There's personal conveyance and yard moves. Those have probably already been beaten to death. Search and learn LOL.

There's also a 2 hour "adverse conditions" exemption. It can be used to extend your drive line out to 13 hours, but cannot extend your 14. Yeah that's stupid, but I didn't write it. It also has to be something that could not have been forecast. Like the wreck I came upon last week that had the road closed for 5 hours and no escape. If you use it because you entered a major city at the start of rush hour, the diesel bear will poop on your excuse, then write you a violation anyway.

Don't fall for the channel 19 talk about the short haul exemption, unless you actually meet the criteria. It extends your 14 by 2 hours. However, your last 5 work days have to begin and end at the same terminal address. Intended to help day cab drivers running a local route from getting hung out on the road due to traffic or the like.

From the carrier side of it, you have almost 50 companies with a product on the market to hash through and choose from. Over half are fly-by-night companies that may not even be in business when Dec 17 rolls around. Then there's the few old reliables that cost too much. Somewhere in the middle is where people like me will end up. Expect somewhere around $100-200 to get up and running, then around a $20/month plus or minus subscription for online or extended options like IFTA.

Not one of these companies has a single dime of risk if the device fails. Or if you don't get it fixed on time. Or can't get support. I'm learning I probably get the same or worse support priority from Rand McNally than someone that bought a fitness watch if they even make those. The risk to my business that I could get fined, or put OOS and have my insurance rates go up, is totally on me. Rand McNally is no different than the rest, I expect. So I'm not totally dumping on them, they just happened to be my first try with it.

So there is my first week and not ready for prime time yet. If I have any advice for anyone, it's this: Don't wait until the last minute. You're not going to tear the package open at the truck stop and be e-logging like a champ 15 minutes later. It takes time to set up, and at least a week or two to re-visit your logging habits to make it work right. And that's if everything works out of the box like it's supposed to. If it doesn't work, add a few weeks of trying to work it out. Failing that, then you start all over with another try with a different brand.

 

This is what I will use. It doesent have to be mounted. Can put it where you put your log book now. It will have a wireless connection to the data port. I bought a printer because I thought the same thing. But every inspection I just hand them the tablet and that works.

You will figure it out.

@wore out i have no dought you will figure it out! If it becomes a problem when the time comes let me know and I will gladly come to you and set you all up with my other tablet for free in exchange for all the great information I have received from you and all the others on this site!

 

I'll answer some of @wore out concerns, as it relates to the Rand McNally product I'm fighting with at the moment. It is a "bring your own device" design (like many others). A module that screws into the ecm diagnostic port, and connects with bluetooth to whatever you run the logbook app on.

Their app can be run on their products (like I have chosen), or on any Android device. Maybe iPhone too, but not a concern of mine. You could use it on a smart phone, but IMO you need to have young eyes and a precision finger if you expect that to work out at all.

You also must have a wifi internet connection for whatever you install and use the app on, at least every 7 days. Having one on the truck is even better.

I think the app on the device will store up to 15 days, but I might be wrong on that. It transmits to the RM servers whenever it can, they say they will store up to 6 months worth. You can view and do things with that uploaded data using any web browser.

The module on the ecm port itself will store up to two days of movement. So lets say your dog eats your tablet, you can install the app on something else within two days and it will sync up soon as you log in. Failing that, you have up to 8 days to work it out (per the regulation) and just use paper in the mean time.

The app gets vin and odometer data from the truck it's plugged into. So presumably you could just unplug from one truck, plug into the other, and just go. I haven't tried it yet. I have two trucks, so I can. I will try this if and when the first two issues I'm fighting get fixed. Or not.

Someone else already mentioned user login. So more than one driver can log in separately, even on the same device. Preferably not, in my opinion.

My game plan is the driver gets their own tablet, and the ELD module will stay with the truck. If I had an extra truck, I'd just buy more modules to avoid handling hassles.

The user login gets important when the app tries to sync up with the module. Say your shop took it out on a test drive. That time has to be logged somewhere. Another thing I haven't tried with the RM product. I think a carrier login would have to assign that drive time to a generic "shop driver" to make it right. Default it assumes you did it and stuffs that backlogged drive time on your logbook.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Sorry if all this ruins your day LOL.

 

The best, most informative magazine feature I've read so far is one that appeared in last month's (Mar '17) issue of HDT, called ELD Countdown.

It's fleet oriented. So you won't see much about the driver side of this. What you get instead is a great heads up about what to expect when/if you make a move toward complying with the regulation.

 

Red, if your system is like the one I use, from JJ Keller. The "shop driver" movement shows up and you have to accept or deny the request.
You can move the truck and not claim the unassigned drive time. It just gets thrown out, as has been explained to me by my boss.

Again, I don't know what the RM system is like. But our system uses a small data box that plugs into the ECM, and mounts in the most convenient out of the way spot of your choosing. Mostly right behind the drivers seat in our trucks. Then we "plug in" with our phones, Android or iPhone, using Bluetooth connectivity.
This is important, you have to have the Bluetooth option enabled on your phone to use our system. My phone is a few years old, and I have problems with it when I also have my headset connected.

I don't even turn on my data, it will log the events but I have to type in the name of the town where I am. Instead of letting my GPS locator do it for me.