Over hours question...

Howdy, chefbob2,

You're 100% correct. Log it like you drive it, or risk the consequences.

I remember when OOIDA was running their "Run Compliant" campaign. The idea was that if everybody ran exactly like the HOS rules dictated, we would slow the economy to the point where we'd have a strong voice, and the beauty of it would be that we could accomplish the same results as a strike, without striking, but rather by simply obeying the absolute letter of the law.

I joined OOIDA while leased to a company where logbook falsification was commonplace, although the company never officially condoned it. There were some guys, as I understand it, who logged strictly legal.

When I left that company and began running under my own numbers, I did run pretty much compliant. Then, when the new rules were enforced in January, 2004, I found it even easier to run compliant, after I realized that the 14 hour clock could be stopped with any bunk time 2 hours or greater. I don't know if it was my imagination, or did freight rates rise immediately following the 2003 rule change?

After October 2005, however, when split sleeper berth was tossed, OOIDA quit running their "Run Compliant" campaign. When we could no longer split our bunk time, running compliant became a joke.

I also advocate falsification of logs, not in order to run excessive miles and drive 'til I drop, but in order to sleep when I feel the need, and drive when I'm alert. A trucker should be allowed to do that without any economic consequences. Truckers could do that when we were allowed to legally split our bunk time.

I don't like running illegal. However, I remember that before the rule change of 2005, I didn't have to in order to sleep and drive in a safe manner. Presently, trying to stay within the letter of the law and still get freight delivered on time is matter of pushing long hours behind the wheel in order to beat the clock. I can do it. I do it. It's not safe.

I've been doing some investigating and I'm homing in on just what happened when the feds eliminated split bunk time. For one thing, I don't think the idea came from the citizen groups like PATT, CRASH, or Public Citizen. I think it may have come from the National Transportation Safety Board, (NTSB) from one of their professional pilot members, but I'm not sure.

Irregardless, it looks like the feds may have implemented the rule change without allowing adequate opportunity for public input. Furthermore, they appear to be ignoring the (link)considerable opposition(link) to the tossing of the split sleeper berth provision because they claim that they had already dealt with the issue in 2005.

With regard to irresponsibility, I believe the feds win, hands down. The tossing of the split sleeper berth provision from the HOS regulations was an ill-conceived move on the feds' part, if safety is what it's all about.

Without the ability to take the breaks when they're needed most, while still meeting delivery requirements, it comes down to a decision on the part of a trucker. "Which risk to take...the risk of falsifying...or the risk of falling asleep at the wheel...or the economic risk of not meeting delivery requirements."

 

like good robots.

 

Back in the old days, before elogs, I was under the impression that it was always better to get dinged for "logs not up to date" than "lying on logs".

But that was back in the old days, I have no frigging idea what is better these days, other than being a Christian and praying to Jesus that they don't check my truck and/or logs at the next scale house.

Tongue in cheek, but, my, how things have changed. And not for the better.

 

So well put, this says it in a nutshell.

Forgot to say that now that I am on elogs, I often have no choice but to drive fatigued (at times), or lose my job, of course. So, I have to choose between maybe being responsible for an accident, or certainly losing my job. Thanks, NTSB, you done good!

Truthfully, I am not going to get fired for missing an appointment if I say I am too tired to drive, but if I miss too many of them, my company is not going like me too well, and my income is going to go down.

It's just Harvard boys trying to tell good ol' boys how to do their jobs.

 

Precisely. Legal does not always equal safe. Computers and pencilnecks and politicians cannot distinguish between the two.






BTW: I've been on elogs too.

 

...Amen...

 

Run it how you need to,catch the book up to suit after you have made your money.
The gray area is only scary to those that are legalistic-ally color blind.

There is no Boogie Man under your bunk!

 

How short are your hauls? Are you under the 115 air mile radius. Thats the big one the look for too determine if you need a log book. They dont need to know you have worked more than 12 hours or 14 for that matter. I know I'll catch hell for saying this, but I understand where you're coming from. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.