New Bill in Congress to Deley ELD Mandate

For me, the ELD mandate is top priority as it adds the most hassles and expenses to my operation. I don't go anywhere NEAR Calif---ya, so CARB doesn't have any effect on me.

Paper logs cost me $2/month. ELD through the carrier will cost me $45/month...a $43/month increase, not to mention the days that might run a little long that'll add $100 or so for a motel room a stones throw from the house. If I go the route I'd like to, it'll run me a 1-time fee of around $850...and then more if/when stuff wears out, breaks, or otherwise needs replacing. Even if nothing ever goes wrong and the system lasts forever without any flaws, that's STILL a minimum of 35 YEARS before I reach the break-even point compared to paper logs, and again, that still doesn't factor in the extra motel rooms that might be necessary just a stones throw from making it home.

The alternative is to run strictly local, which also cuts into revenue as the work isn't always available that doesn't leave that 100 air-mile radius.

CARB hasn't and won't cost me a single dime. They are irrelevant to anyone like me who never goes anywhere near Calif---ya.

 

Of for those people who just follow the rules even if they're running paper. The rules of any game are only meaningful and effective if everybody plays by them. Otherwise it's just a free-for-all chaos and the people that hold the cards know they can profit off of that.

 

Don't bet on it.

 

No they won't.

Unless HOS only includes drive time over 5 mph that is.

HOS actually includes line 4 which I reckon is abused more by the average eld user that it is by me. It also includes the most important rule, the one that can't be enforced electronically.

Remember, the Walmart driver that took out Tracy Morgan was eld compliant.

 

It's more of a psychological thing. I have no problem running paper if I'm calling the shots because I know I follow the rules to the best of my ability. The honor system runs aground though when unscrupulous companies know that all they have to do is convince a driver to write "this" instead of "that" on a paper logbook because XYZ reason (everything is an emergency when you run a trucking company right?) And the best part is the company has no legal exposure for a driver that breaks the rules in this regard, so it's all win-win for them.

The E-logs at least put a firewall between drivers who want to follow the rules and company shenanigans and we've all seen what those look like. Or at least any of us who've worked as a company driver in a sleeper cab operation. The driver only has limited control over the E-logs and they act as an otherwise impartial third party arbitrator between the inevitable driver/dispatcher power squabbles. (This is why I'm happier running local if I have to drive a truck for somebody else...the scenery gets boring and it gets routine but it takes the whole HOS imbroglio between the driver and the company mostly off the table.)

 

I could care less about the safety claims behind the mandate. There will still be a lot of ways to cheat with on duty time but the start of the 14 hour clock is the key difference. Lets say you have an 8 am delivery and the receiver doesnt allow parking. You park 20 miles away in a rest area. You won't be driving less than 5 mph to the consignee so your 14 hour clock will start at about 730. With paper logs you can lie and not log that until you are almost unloaded. Let's say the average unload time is 2 hours. That puts the guy with the ELD two hours behind the guy with the paper log on the 14 hour clock. The ELD will reduce shipping capacity for this reason and many others. I drive team so I will benefit when it slows all the solos down. There's a bunch of crusty old school owner operators that swear up-and-down that they will hang up their keys as soon as the mandate takes effect and I encourage them to do so. I see a strengthening in the freight rates and a weakening in the used truck market should this mandate pass. Both of those will benefit me.

 

That's a good thing, they're about as accurate as the compliance claims.

 

I get the "infringement of liberty" angle many are taking on this. But between you, me and the fence post, with the words and arguments chosen by some, some of you are just further supporting the case to mandate eLogs [for all]. I recommend some of you remain in the shadows and let others speak on your behalf.

And some of the rest? Well let's just say ...