Tracking who uses EOBRs

Where you drive in Kellogg, Iowa must not have any of these mega's with EOBRs installed. You obviously have never been to a truckstop and watched how these E-log trucks act. Get off your EOBRs are great and everyone needs to learn to deal with them soapbox. If you like them great but stop trying to force them upon the industry by feeding the idea they are good and can be worked with when you don't know every other drivers routine.

 

Please explain the benefit of E-logs to the driver, please list any advantages that e-logs have over paper logs.....

 

Guess what? I own the truck, the sticker is on the permit panel on the side, and I have no problem using e-logs. Has not had any negative effect on my earnings or being home just like before. And still, no one is monitoring me to see if I am getting moving after a break or something. No one cares! I stop when I want, I go when I want. As long as I make the time I said I would be somewhere, then no big deal. I determine when the load can be delivered, and I communicate that to those that need to know. So, no. There is not a huge difference. Sure, they should not be mandated, and sure, they have nothing to do with safety, and sure, they will hurt some folk's productivity. For most folks, they just aren't that evil of a thing. Used smartly, they have a fair amount of flexibility. If one can be creative with paper, they can find a way to be creative with an e-log. The only thing that has changed is the technology.

 

1) no having to keep track of anything like town I am stopped at.

2) no risk of messing up the addition or subtraction when figuring a recap

3) no need to keep any paperwork on file for FMCSA or tax purposes. All logs are conveniently stored on a server, with ready access via my cell phone, laptop, or fax if I need them.

4) no risk of missing filling out some little box or forgetting to write in the date or signing a page or inspection sheet.

5) When I go home, just hit OFF DUTY, get out of the truck, and enjoy time off. When time to go, just hit on duty for a few minutes to show a pre-trip and take off. All of this irregardless of time off, dates, months, daylight savings time, etc. I just plain don't have to waste time with paper.

6) no risk of forgetting to "draw a line" before taking off. No chance of an "oh, darn, here I am getting pulled over and I forgot to catch up my log book". That is one violation that won't happen and no CSA points.

7) and stuff like driving off duty for personal conveyance, no different than doing it on paper. I can drive anywhere I like using personal conveyence with no driving time on the e-log.

 

You know, all this talk about EOBR's got me thinking about AVI's, (automated vehicle identifiers), and I think we should just follow this all to it's logical conclusion.....

If you want to make the roads safer, and you should if safety is the primary issue, then we should seriously consider mandating that all new vehicles built after a determined target date be required by law to have VIN keyed RFI devices....

Every brand new four wheeler rolling off the line and onto the new car lots should be required to have this....

We could then put in transponders along the highways and byways....

If you exceeded the posted speed limit, and this would be easily determined via the transponder network, you would get your ticket/citation sent to you in the mail.....

EVERYONE would be forced to rigidly comply with speed laws, or simply forfeit their driver's license after racking up the infractions and amassing the driver disqualification points.....

Think it'll be popular?

Pro EOBR crowd, can I get an amen?

 

Hmmmmm........

1. I'd have to try it for myself.

2. I'd like the freedom to choose which system I employ for my record keeping purposes.

But you're doing fine with the sales pitch so far....

How much will it cost me to install one?

 

But you are still only describing personal behavior. Has nothing to do with e-log or paper. And it has nothing to do with mega carriers either. There are plenty of moron drivers that work for fly by night small trucking outfits. Anyone who spends a lot of time around Chicago can figure that out. The "e-log truck" doesn't have a mind of its own and goes driving around the lot. Nor can it stop the truck when out of hours. That is all about the driver. And whether I think everyone should get used to them is not the issue. FMCSA is out on record that an EOBR regulation will be coming out this September.

And come, come now. I never said that as things are done now, they will work great for every driver. But it is a hard cold fact, that when these things get mandated, folks are just plain going to have to change their routine to make it all work.

As I have stated before, go ahead and curse and howl at me. Go ahead and curse and howl at God if it makes you feel better. But when these things come about, there will be no one's shoulder to cry on. Everyone will be worrying about how to make it all work for themselves and will not have time to give a rip about you or anyone else.

 

Yeah, I dunno..... I like my paper logs

 

Well, I think what he's saying is you just push a button, changing the duty status to "off duty", while you're sitting waiting to get onto the fuel line....