Info on electronic logs?

I average 2500 and do just fine. My point was, you can still run hard on elog. Ans although i am all about fuel efficiency and running trucks slower for better mpg, would you rather a fast driver who is not tired or a slow driver who is tired? If the speed limit is 75, its not unsafe to runt a truck at 70. Just keep in mind, some tires are not rated above 70 or 75 so keep that in mind. Also you can be in violation if you log more miles then the speed limit allows in your day.

I dont think the drivers that run 4000 a week are slowing down since they are on paper logs anyway.

 

As long as the "run as many miles as legally possible" mentality continues to reign in the industry, we will always have issues.......

I try to run less than 2k a week, try to keep it about 12-1500. and gross over 4500............

 

It is nice to see someone here has a ''brain''...Good Post

 

The company I am leased to has tried a few solutions but isn't adopting anything until there is a final specification and ruling mandating it. I don't have them, I don't want them and will continue to avoid them as long as possible. If mandated, well, let's cross that bridge when we come to it.

I've run under Qualcomm, Peoplenet, and XRS/turnpike/XATA. I can and do primarily run legal, because my logs are very intensely compared to toll receipts, fuel bills, and shipper or consignee time stamps. Also, I'm inclined to be lazy, and am not interested in working 60-70 hours a week if I can meet my income requirements in less.

It's really mostly an ego thing with me. As might be typical of a lot of us in this industry, I rather resent people telling me when I can start and stop. I'm irritated by management types wanting an eagle eye into my ECM at any random point (mind you I'm rather in favor of a "black box" recorder, but it doesn't need remote random access, AND I MUST be able to read its data at any point I choose). Lastly, as someone who has worked in several jobs where there were rather long shifts (18-36 hours at times), I am very much able to function well beyond 8, 10, or even 14 hours, without endangering myself or others, as my job, and indeed my life, has sometimes depended on it. I am also acutely aware of when it's time to stop, and have absolutely no problem telling customers (nicely), or management (nice if they are, not if they're not) that I need a break.

 

we graduated from the same school of bidness.

 

I don't drive that hard any more, at least most of the time. I rarely even run 10 hours a day. I am more likely to run 8 or 9 hours. I have spoken to several who run elogs and all of them have told me that they always push to get as many miles as they can before the computer shuts them down. One guy received 3 speeding tickets during his first year running under elogs. Elogs put a lot of unnecessary pressure on drivers. This is what drivers have told me who are running them.

 

Mercer doesn't require elogs, YET. Although I probably shouldn't have told you that since you were just sarcastically rude and your "friend" s probably looking for someplace to run illegal. That being said, logbook abusers are required to go elog at Mercer.

 

This is exactly it. This is the flexibility I was talking about. Drivers are, and I have found myself doing this, going to push the limit on speed to try and get to where they need to be before the clock runs out. Once that clock hits 0, you're screwed. With paperlogs, you have extra time.

Also, the big thing is cost. What worries me is if they mandate it, then all these independent O/O will have to pay the big money to install them, or go out of business. And then, not only do they have to be installed, but you would probably have to have your elogs submitted to a 3rd party who stores the data for you. The DOT isn't going to trust independents to keep their own e-logs, you're going to have to pay to have your logs submitted and stored through the satellite to some 3rd party company. That way, you won't be able to "lose" some days, or even edit the driving time.

Today I did find some flexibility. Traffic jam on I35 north of Waco, heading south. Traffic stopped, and so did I, then immediately grabbed my e-log and put myself off duty. I knew that it would eventually put me back on driving by itself, but it saved me 10 minutes. That 10 minutes is what enabled me to get to New Braunfels with 7 minutes remaining on my driving time.

Good trip planning is essential anyways.

I made it yesterday from Lansing, MI to Osceola, AR in 11 hours with 25 mins to spare. Today I made it from Osceola to New Braunfels with 7 mins to spare. Check the miles on that. You can still make good miles. But then again traffic wasn't bad over the weekend.

 

I ran 300 miles on Friday Night..Out in the ''west'' this should take about 5 hours or less...On my route in the Northeast it took me 7 hours..But this past friday night a guy decided to flip his car over and the road was shut down.There was no way out or around so we had to wait..I lost 2 hours.
This 5 hour run or less turned into a 9 hour run..