log book for laptop

If you are running a log program on a laptop, tablet or smartphone, you are wrong, but hey, it's your license and wallet. So, by all means, do what you want.

 

how did I miss the point...? I was asked and I went to the truck and printed them because I was asked

my point was they don't always ask BUT if they ask and you can't print them your going to get a OOS.......
the rule says you must be able to print them not fax or email.... PRINT

 

If you are using an approved and installed device like Qualcomm, for example, you don't need to have a printer. Those devices can fax or email log pages and THEY ARE ALLOWED TO FAX & EMAIL PAGES RATHER THAN PRINT FROM TRUCK.

If you are using other devices, such as tablets, phones, etc that are not classified as Automatic On-Board Recorders EMAIL & FAX ARE NOT SUITABLE. YOU NEED TO PRINT FROM TRUCK WHEN ASKED.

The regulations don't exempt devices that require in-truck printing to comply with the regs simply because an officer somewhere did not ask for a printed page. There seems to be confusion because some drivers using devices that are required to print on-demand have been passed by officers without printing and some drivers equate that as meaning the requirement for some devices has been removed. If you have certain devices, such as Qualcomm & maybe People.net is included, no printing. If you have other devices they require print capability to be in compliance.

 

https://www.bigroad.com/

Those guys have an optional module that connects to the truck and automatically logs drive time. I wonder if that would qualify as an electronic log and eliminate the requirement to print logs on demand.

 

NOTE: KeepTruckin is neither an Electronic On-Board
Recorder nor an Automatic On-Board Recorder. However,
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association has made it
clear that documents created, maintained and signed
electronically satisfy the requirements found in
§395.8.k.2 (Retention of driver's record of duty status).
In its interpretation of rule 390.31, the FMCSA states:
You may use electronic methods to generate, sign,
maintain and/or exchange any document that is
generated and maintained or exchanged by private
parties, regardless of whether FMCSA subsequently
requires them to be produced or displayed to Agency
staff or other parties entitled to access. You do not need
to request an exemption or obtain prior permission so
long as the electronic record meets all of the regulation’s
substantive requirements and remains accessible in a
form that can be accurately reproduced for later
reference. Examples of documents generated,
maintained or exchanged by private parties include, but
are not limited to...driver-vehicle inspection reports, and
records of duty status

 

What? This? "Electronic logging apps and programs that are not getting movement data from the vehicle to determine when the driver is driving are basically an electronic version of a paper log, and are regulated under the “regular” log requirements in §395.8. One key point to using such electronic logging apps and programs is that the driver must be able to print his/her logs on demand during a roadside inspection)"

That's a quote from a summary from a non-DOT website.

THIS is a quote from the gov...
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/390.31?guidance

Question 11: May I use electronic methods to generate, sign, maintain and/or exchange any record the FMCSA regulations require without requesting an exemption or obtaining prior permission?

Guidance: You may use electronic methods to generate, sign, maintain and/or exchange any document that is generated and maintained or exchanged by private parties, regardless of whether FMCSA subsequently requires them to be produced or displayed to Agency staff or other parties entitled to access. You do not need to request an exemption or obtain prior permission so long as the electronic record meets all of the regulation’s substantive requirements and remains accessible in a form that can be accurately reproduced for later reference. (This does not apply to documents filed directly with the Agency. See Question No. 6.) Examples of documents generated, maintained or exchanged by private parties include, but are not limited to: Employment applications, driver histories and other qualification records, leases formed under 49 CFR part 376, driver-vehicle inspection reports, and records of duty status. These are only examples of documents about which FMCSA received specific questions and is not an exhaustive list of the types of documents that can be generated, signed, maintained or exchanged electronically.

 

If you're still looking for a solution and not legal input...you need a program called BlueStacks for your windows os. Install it and login with your google account to acess play store. A chrome book with a mobile connection from your cell phone company would be great or youll need to use your phone's hotspot to connect your laptop to the wifi. Your laptop also needs bluetooth to connect to eld. Download your eld app and you're good to go.

 

THAT should be something I will look into. I never thought of the laptop as a method to keep logs should the ELD burn up or something in the truck cab. I'll certainly look into that.

I know my smartphone is so crappy.... I need to migrate into something quality. Am looking into it.

 

We run Samsara on our smart phones. It automatically detects movement of the vehicle. Automatically puts it on Drive. It also will send logs to DOT through email.
I did test this one night. Logged in. Rode with another driver. Didn't log onto any truck. Logged no vehicle. It did not put me on drive at anytime. Stayed On Duty.