Elogs for 1 or 2 truck operations...

My experience has been that the DOT cops are so befuddled by the '91 truck they just don't even check the trailer ABS. Most times it goes like this:
DOT: WHat year is this thing?
ME: '86
DOT: Guess I don't need to check ABS then.
ME: Nope.

 

Found this. I was off a few months on the model years

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&ty=HTML&h=L&mc=true&=PART&n=pt49.5.393#se49.5.393_155

 

Maybe it's just a mercer thing, but i can't see any other reason for them to do it other than dot giving then problems over it. Anyway they require us to wire our pigtail to provide power to the trailers abs and wire an idiot light into the dash for the trailer. I don't know what the reg says and it's likely they do this just to avoid problems with dot officers that don't know the reg themselves.

 

It's not just a Mercer thing. See rule below. Cut and pasted from link above.

In NY the DOT sticks their head in the cab and ask you to cycle the key to show them the ABS light. Then they walk to the back of the trailer and get you to cycle the key again to make sure the ABS light on the trailer flashed once and goes out. If it stays on or doesn't flash or flashed more than once, you get written up.

§393.55 Antilock brake systems.

(c) Air brake systems. (1) Each truck tractor manufactured on or after March 1, 1997 (except truck tractors engaged in driveaway-towaway operations), shall be equipped with an antilock brake system that meets the requirements of FMVSS No. 121 (49 CFR 571.121, S5.1.6.1(b)).

(2) Each air braked commercial motor vehicle other than a truck tractor, manufactured on or after March 1, 1998 (except commercial motor vehicles engaged in driveaway-towaway operations), shall be equipped with an antilock brake system that meets the requirements of FMVSS No. 121 (49 CFR 571.121, S5.1.6.1(a) for trucks and buses, S5.2.3 for semitrailers, converter dollies and full trailers).

(d) ABS malfunction circuits and signals for air braked vehicles. (1) Each truck tractor manufactured on or after March 1, 1997, and each single-unit air braked vehicle manufactured on or after March 1, 1998, subject to the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, shall be equipped with an electrical circuit that is capable of signaling a malfunction that affects the generation or transmission of response or control signals to the vehicle's antilock brake system (49 CFR 571.121, S5.1.6.2(a)).

(2) Each truck tractor manufactured on or after March 1, 2001, and each single-unit vehicle that is equipped to tow another air-braked vehicle, subject to the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, shall be equipped with an electrical circuit that is capable of transmitting a malfunction signal from the antilock brake system(s) on the towed vehicle(s) to the trailer ABS malfunction lamp in the cab of the towing vehicle, and shall have the means for connection of the electrical circuit to the towed vehicle. The ABS malfunction circuit and signal shall meet the requirements of FMVSS No. 121 (49 CFR 571.121, S5.1.6.2(b)).

(3) Each semitrailer, trailer converter dolly, and full trailer manufactured on or after March 1, 2001, and subject to the requirements of paragraph (c)(2) of this section, shall be equipped with an electrical circuit that is capable of signaling a malfunction in the trailer's antilock brake system, and shall have the means for connection of this ABS malfunction circuit to the towing vehicle. In addition, each trailer manufactured on or after March 1, 2001, subject to the requirements of paragraph (c)(2) of this section, that is designed to tow another air-brake equipped trailer shall be capable of transmitting a malfunction signal from the antilock brake system(s) of the trailer(s) it tows to the vehicle in front of the trailer. The ABS malfunction circuit and signal shall meet the requirements of FMVSS No. 121 (49 CFR 571.121, S5.2.3.2).

 

I like my 89 tractor and 96 trailer more every day!

Thanks Rank!

 

I haven't decided yet if I'm gonna stay in the industry or not. This is really the only thing I wanna do, so I'll probably stick it out and see how things go.

I've thought of getting an older truck to avoid it, but I like my new(er) truck. I also think that guys with older trucks will be picked on, or someone will come up with an eld that is cost effective and they'll end up on them too.

Good friend of mine is pretty certain that Trump will overturn this. But I'm not going to hold my breath.

 

Ya i highly doubt it will be overturned. The cost is so little that cost can't be used as a reasonable arguement to over turn the mandate.

 

The big trucking companies push for it. they have everything logistically figured out and already spent the money on them. there trying to weed out the small guys by pushing this on them, good luck finding many people to haul cattle. they will keep hiring Somalians to take your jobs cause honestly the trucking world is slowly getting alot less fun then what it used to be.

 

Big companies have thousands of trailers they can drop and have preloaded. This cuts out the waste of time loading and unloading. If gov would change hos to 11hr drive time in 24hr period, keep 10hr reset, get rid of 14hr clock, small companies wouldnt be hurt by elogs.