Pre ELD law, how long with the pre 2000's be exempt?

There is a conversion "kit" out there for mechanical engines, been there for a long time and I do not know who makes it but it is supposed to be compliant with eld. There are sensors that are hooked up to the engine and drive shaft.

 

There are several other exemptions, such as 8 or fewer days in 30 days, 100 air miles, drive away/tow away, etc. Do you think those will go away? Why do you think the engine exemption might go away?

 

I think the better question is how many lifetimes do you think old [already wore out] trucks have on today’s crap roads with today’s bio blend ultra low sulpher fuels? You really plan on trucking for just a few more years? If not, you’re only making it harder on yourself by procrastinating and playing Russian roulette everytime you venture a ways from home. Eventually something is going to break and you’re not going to be able to find it and get it corrected in a timely manner

 

Next time you are driving down the road, do a little survey. Note the various ages of the trucks coming at you, or parked in a row at a truck stop.
I am certain you will discover that well over 80% of the trucks in the truck stop not only are post 2000, but are post 2008 with extensive emissions. The other thing to consider is that a lot of the older trucks, like mine in the avatar are driven far less miles that the newer units.
It is not productive to waste enforcement $ on decreasing numbers. And my company is beginning to require all trucks who lease on, whatever the age to have an ELD. Pre 2000 units won't have the engine inputs, but the GPS function satisfies the data/location needs. Since they are not required by regulation, but a company policy instead, they don't have to be FMCSA ELD compliant.

 

Old iron is a blessing to the soul when caught in the wild doing trucking or something. But they would need some attention on that bio fuel from the 2007 onwards. I would hate to think what they would have to suffer a little bit running that slimed down diesel. You wont find too many of these anymore.

On the other hand you can purchase a 150,000 dollar casterated and emissions compliant tractor that puffs golden marbles and fresh air out the stack only to cry and wail when the thing fails to regen properly or blow out the emissions somewhere because it's not designed to endure idling in any amount of time or some other problem on the road. Costing you money.

Either way you are going to spend money. Personally I rather have the old iron and take my chances. When I had a older car from the early 70's I have been able to at 5 gallon gas can buy leaded gas supposedly for off road use but feed that to the car as a treat for a well done running and see it run even better at a slight cost to mileage per gallon. I could probably still find that old time gas or diesel here and there if I have a mind to. The old iron will get the same if possible.

I don't mind a little regulation within the HOS, however it becomes counter productive when places like Georgia criminalizes ordinary PC use between loads of a semi truck in their state. Usually in this Country when one states invent a nice cute law, the rest follow relatively quickly.

 

I've seen more new trucks broke down on the side of the road than older one, it's Russian roulette either way these days. I've seen trucks the same year as mine with 2.3 million miles on them and not in too horrible shape. What makes you think that just because it's got some miles on it and a little age it's wore out? You do know if you found a 90s kw or pete for 15k that needs literally everything, you can make it new, besides cab and sleeper of course, and it shouldn't cost as much as a new truck.

 

It is really a choice of who is running, used to be plastic or paper for the question, now turning to plastic or metal? If you do you upkeep and learn your truck you will save money on the old iron in the long run and your second profession is mechanic not needing stinking computers to tell you what to do.

 

As others said I think they will always be exempt. It just isn't that big of an issue. How many 19+ year old trucks do you see on the highway doing OTR? I see a lot of old stuff local but it is exempt for being local anyway.
As time goes by there are fewer and fewer of these old trucks because they get crashed, scrapped, whatever. There just are not enough of them for the bureaucrats to worry about rewriting the law for.

On a side note I like simple mechanical things but I currently drive a 2007 379 but I also owned a 1998 W900 dump truck and in the 10 years difference there is a world of difference in the trucks. I would love an older simpler engine but I will keep my newer truck creature comforts especially in something I spend a lot of time in. Being ELD exempt isn't worth a trip back in the time machine for me.

 

Also good to keep your hearing. Lots more sound deadening these days.