Tracking who uses EOBRs

I have a friend who is O/O. He was leased to a company, had to install an elog in his truck... Didn't like it all... Decided to put a team partner with him so they could run nonstop. I have the impression that eventually most companies and many folks will be running team to "maximize" hrs and comply with HOS, elog and such.

 

In case anyone is disillusioned, let me explain what the tasks of management are,

1. Cut costs

That is always job numero uno...but what else??

2. Maximize efficency

It runs neck and neck with numero uno.

Now, there's nothing wrong with this, that is, until people who have never done the job, drove the truck, and performed the work take over....

It's why smaller trucking companies are awesome, cause the guys at the small company are/were drivers themselves, a lot of them former o/o's...

But what happens??

As the company grows the inevitable transformation occurs, the company grows and the owner starts hiring business professionals as they are too large and complex to stay as they were, the original guys are replaced by better qualified and educated office personnel, the small companies become victims of their own success and the owner wakes up one day and wonders what happened.... "Why is there such division between drivers and management???"

 

You have seen the future of trucking.....

 

They must have had some reason to call.... I've had my loose leaf logs scrutinized countless times and this has never happened to me, and there's no satellite tracking device on my truck either.... sounds like it's happening to you with some frequency....

Must have been something "fishy" bout those driver logs.

 

There are states that have called and verified shipping times for years.

 

Hey! You took these words out of my mouth! Actually I did start to type "this is the future of trucking here..." but deleted...

 

Now we need permission too for being on the road....

 

There I fixed it for you LOL. Follow the money.

 

I don't know if I could keep from laughing if asked what I was doing out driving around..... "Driver, what's you and you're truck doing out here"....

Scrutinized for driving a registered vehicle??? Wha??? I've been through I don't know how many "inspections", and I don't ever remember being questioned as to why I was driving with an empty, I've never been asked, "driver, what are you doing driving with an empty trailer....." Now, if you're running around loaded and don't have any documentation, well that could be a problem, and would be the only reason for calling someone at the company to verify anything.... everything they need should be with the driver, and if the driver has all documents, then calling the company to ask questions is nothing short of "fishing" for a violation.... a highly unethical practice.

I was hauling UPS freight just this last holiday season, had an old FSTZ #, yada, yada, trailer, an old bone, no lettering on the trailer, no identification markings except a truck number, and no trailer registration anywhere on the trailer.... UPS is drop and hook and go, go, go,... they don't give you a BOL, or a manifest.... you get a seal record and that's it... sometimes, if they let you in their actual yard, instead of just their drop lot, you can get a copy of the LMA from the dispatch office... I had the rate confirmation and a little slip of paper that had the seal recorded on it.... that was it...

Got stopped for a level 2 inspection in (**), (state will remain unknown, since I found out lots of eyes roam these pages)......One of those days that made you glad you chose trucking..... DOT offficer asks for the BOL, I said, "there isn't one".... I hand him the only paperwork that UPS gave me...I hadn't thought of showing him the rate con, I had simply given him the little 4 inch slip of paper that had the seal number recorded on it... during the inspection the DOT officer asks for the trailer registration...don't have one...

DOT scratches his head, says... "wait here while I figure this out..." He goes and sits in his car...

He runs the tag...

DOT says to me, "the trailer registration is invalid..."

I said, "WHAT!!"

He says, "the trailer registration is coming back invalid"

I said, "but it's a permanent plate"...

He says, "I know"

He isn't sure what to do.

I offer to give him the UPS dispatch number where I picked the trailer up, and the LS broker number...

He says, "no"

I walk back to the truck and sit.....for about 20 min.....

He's just sitting in his car.

I'm trying to figure out if I'm better off staying in my truck, or getting out and talking to him.... I can't just sit here...

I remember the rate confirmation..... I get it out and look at it..... "Couldn't hurt", I'm thinking.....

I walk back up to the patrol car, and offer him the rate con....

He says, "great, all I needed was a way to verify the trailer, and load..... I was thinking it might be stolen"

I said, "I was thinking that you might be thinking that too...."

He says, "you can go"

I leave.

The DOT never felt inclined to talk to the shipper, broker, or carrier.....

Go figure.