Exposing log book tricks

If you can convince me that the current HOS really are "for the welfare and safety of everybody on the road", then I'll buy your entire inventory of bridges for sale too.

 

While I tend to agree with you that if someone were to do this then they should vary the speed average. However, last time I checked, the onus is still on the Crown (hey, I'm Canadian ) to prove the violation. Of course the DOT officer can write the ticket, but how hard will it be to beat? I have checked several of my "logged as done" records and they have shown the same average speed on different days for the same section.

On this same topic, I had a scale master try and interrogate me regarding one of my trips as he didn't like the fact that my average speed matched the speed limit. I just looked at him and smiled as he couldn't prove squat (and he knew it, he was just trying to get me to "confess").

 

I don't know about convincing you or my bridges for sale, but what other reason would there be for HOS?

I really can not think of any other intention of the HOS laws. I could see an argument that the HOS regs do not meet that intent, but what other purpose do you think the laws have?

 

ok, i am not sure how to say this, and myabe i have missed some1 els saying this too...
but i just wanna no why in the world would you even post any " tricks " online, thats open to the gen. public to read...... cause i no of 1 DOT officer that loves this website.....
just my imput, cause you would never catch me writting anything illegal or " tricks " online, weather people no who i am not based on my user name...
weather people no who i am not, reading things such as this thread would be great information for DOT across the country to use,
again, just my imput on this one.

 

Its amazing how many people think that "drive it as you log it" is really legal.
Besides, even with the Qualcom and GPS it is really easy to move so much of line 3 to line 1. Most drives for the big company's don't realize the "safety" department is actually just risk management.

Regardless, I wasn't trying to be a prick. I just think that if a driver doesn't know how to cheat and can't figure it out, then do they really need to know.

But I'll add one more to the list of ways to "cheat" anyways.

The QC and GPS coordinate with your closest city location. Most companies will "ping" the truck on an hourly basis at best. Also when you turn on the truck. So if you're ten miles from chicago and you turn the truck off/on, "ping" it reads Chicago. Now you can get there and drive (more like suffer the traffic) all you want without putting it on the drive line. Line three can be used a lot like like 4. DOT, "safety", and the drivers know what the deal is with line four. Nobodys registering line three by your exact position. Sit or creep slowly in traffic- line one.

 

Oh I agree that the intent of the laws, at least partially, was no doubt about everybody's safety and welfare. However, the implimentation of said intent misses the mark by a country mile. On top of that, the subsequent enforcement is a whole lot less about ensuring safety and welfare than it is about revenue.

An honest look at the current HOS reveals the fact that the "one size fits all" approach is arrogant, naive, just plain lazy, or possibly more about control than anything else. But, I'll concede that it is difficult to expect anything more from bureaucrats and politicians ... they love "bandaid" fixes that make it appear they have the public's welfare in mind when all they really care about is expanding their space in the public trough.

The added benefit (for politicians, bureaucrats, enforcement, etc.) regarding the HOS is that it forces virtually 100% of the responsibility onto the group that has the fewest resources at their disposal ... the drivers.

Australia has introduced some new HOS that, on the surface (and I admit I haven't given them any more than a cursory glance in one short news article), appear to have some promise for equalizing the responsibility. There's also some promising research being done here in Calgary regarding actual sleep cycles, fatigue, circadian cycles, etc., specific to the trucking industry.

When I came back to the industry (I got my start in the oil patch before HOS were in use ... those were some crazy/scary times ) I too was convinced that those who said that the HOS were for our benefit were right.

Now?

I have a looseleaf logbook, I'm leased on with a company that has no QC, GPS, or any other tracking devices/information and I have started paying for my fuel in cash.

 

Trust me, they are already very well aware of this information.

 

i have to agree with lostNfound at one time HOS was done for safety but at this point HOS as been molded and subsequently corrupted by positions catering to special interest groups like M.A.D.D (mothers against drowsy drivers) and the one size fits all dosnt work ive had days when i wasnt safe after four hours and then other days when im still good after fifteen at this point HOS is just a sourse of revenue