Prime shifting to Paperless Logs

Oh heck yeah. Believe it or not, if I was running team, I'd actually request they put me on it. Talk about making life easier!

Good luck with your new trainee U2. Hopefully he sticks around!

 

In the 'for what it's worth' department.....

yes, this thread is a few months old, so since I've gone on the fully operational version of E-logs at Prime, I'll provide an update to this.

I have noticed there is a lot more conservative miles/day figure for the loads I have been assigned since going electronic. Before, it was close to 500-540 miles/day average. Now the figure is closer to 400-440/day.

There is 2 things at work here that could be driving that. First, it's slow season, so loads, particularly multi-stop loads, are being given a greater cushion of time on the e-log system. Second, as my dispatcher Lance has told me, they are still in 'transition' from paper to electronic and don't expect the system to be fully 'integrated' from sales to dispatch for another year or so.

A couple of things are still required that have actually created MORE paperwork instead of less. First, if you run Canada, electronic logs are NOT accepted north of the border. You still have to have a 14 day record on paper. This means I have gone to duplicating my e-logs onto paper the best way they will 'translate' to a 15 min. logging period. The key for this to work is to make sure you write down on your log ' E Log Duplicate CANADA USE ONLY'. This will force the DOT guys stateside to use your real time e-log. Second, you are still required to submit an inspection report on paper with your pay paperwork, as well as retain those reports like an old logbook. Until FMCSA makes policy nationally, and applies it to ALL CARRIERS, Transport Canada isn't required to do anything about EOBR's under NAFTA, and will insist on their ways for now.

It is difficult, because of the slow season, to determine if there is an impact on my pay overall. I agree with Ironpony that planning, and particularly in my case, increased use of technology (in using this mini-laptop to GPS software with a Truckstop/Rest Area overlay) will be required equipment for the future when loads pick up and schedules will be tightened. I also agree communication is now more essential than ever, and knowing your route and road conditions ahead of time as much as possible are very important. Will it make trucker's lives easier? I can say there is benefits over the old system that will help for the short run. No more 'garbage' or 'hero' loads, where you are called on to rescue a load nobody in your area happens to want (and the load is getting 'hot'). They have to reschedule it first, THEN assign it to you. That alone is worth the trouble for now. I think they'll be cautious and conservative with this system in 2010, then start to push the limits on it as business increases and see if productivity is improved with compliance.

The negative side of this will be that the safety groups that brought this (and the 'agreement' on the review for a new HOS rule) into use in several fleets now may push for (and maybe it's time to?) removing the exemption to the transport industry to the fair labor act, and start paying drivers by the hour instead of the mile or load. While it makes sense if every truck has to run this way, it's NOT in the best interest of Owner/Operators, because it takes away their 'competitive advantage' against larger companies. It will be interesting to see how OOIDA justifies this in congressional hearings, should that idea be floated.

 

E-logs are accepted in Canada, unless you are speaking of a Prime-only situation. When I was leased to CPx all we had were E-logs (PeopleNet). I was inspected at Hope, Kamloops and Coutts, as well as an RCMP stop and it was never an issue.