Official 2009 DOT Audit Thread/Rumor Mill

Anyone heard the latest on the DOT audit? The last message I got was that they were going to be watching macros sent vs. location vs. logs. I've heard nothing since, though I have been pulling my hair out trying to stay completely book legal.

Thing is, I've noticed other guys seem to be running just as hard as always, and a few times I've been pretty convinced that there is no way at all theyre running legal.

What are they going to do, mail the tickets to your house or something?

My GPS has quit on me twice since May when I started, so how can they possibly use this totally flawed POS to write me tickets. I think if any tickets show up at home, I'll be calling a lawyer.

 

Ive also met a few guys who have to fax in logs every single day.

I've also met one company driver who is supposedly one of five currently experimenting with electronic logs through the driver tech.

He said - as I'm sure we all suspect - that it was impractical and foolish to try to incorporate such a thing, and was thinking it was going to kill productivity.

Unfortunately, my GPS is again working, but with little differences in the "history" part of the driver tech. For example, it no longer says "driving detected" as soon as I put the truck in gear - even if only to move around a parking lot.

I think they are playing with it.

I also think that e-logs are next for everyone. I've heard conversations where guys say, "Man, can't wait until this is over, so things go back to normal."

One word comes to mind - naive.

The writing is on the friggin wall...

6 months down on my lease, 6 to go.

 

Apparently there is a guy named Jim in charge of safety now. A driver told me recently he was talking to Jim, and said that if the DOT tells ATS they need to go with e-logs, one of the options is to pull the GPS's totally, and go back to the Cell Phone/Pad and Pen method of dispatch.

I kinda think that's a complete falsehood though.

Anything which shows your location is going to bust you. I still want to know how it can be used for enforcement though, given the rampant innaccuracies of the thing.

 

Maddad, not to be a jerk or anything, but there are several threads regarding the going on at ATS, and this one is about the audit were currently under.

Regarding e-logs, yeah, it's going to be really weird if it really happens. Funny thing is, I don't think the guys pulling big stuff and driving 4axles are going to mind it much, as they pretty much stay legal anyway.

Not that the rest of us are total outlaws mind you, but if I need to run half a night extra to deliver a load, and make a decent check I do.

E-logs will hurt the general freight guys a lot more than the 4 axle guys.