Tracking who uses EOBRs

I would have to dig out the trucking industry news clip I got in my email some time ago (I think it was from Heavy Duty Trucking magazine), but there is an outfit that claims to be able to provide an authorized device an the monthly cost for it and the record keeping was in the neighborhood of $25. From what I read, no installation fee, no up front equipment purchase. Just a monthly fee which amounts to little more than the cost of a couple of large pizzas.

I agree with the idea that everyone should be able to choose which way they want to do the logging... paper or electronically. The government has no real justification for mandating e-logs on everyone. It is just government gone wild. There are no real winners when government sticks its grubby little fingers in to the mix.

 

And your 14 is "ticking away" on paper also. After all, once that first line is drawn on the day doing something on duty or driving, the 14 starts. So your point is?

 

I like Pizza.............

 

Well, with a loose leaf log it "was" ticking on that sheet that just went into the circular file......

 

Good thing I am already moving my business over to Exempt hauling but I still have time to make some bucks hauling my coils. I don't think anything will be mandated by any date before 2015 or longer as it will be tied up in court for sometime. This whole idea that ALL trucker are the same and do the EXACT same job is ########... Every truck is doing a different routine and these EOBRs are going to hurt alot of guys out here.

 

If you have thought of it, then a government hack or some business that would make a killing from providing the technology has already thought of it. Actually the technology is already there. While a little costly, the technology to point a device at a car and have it shut off by jamming the ECM is already out there. Only reason it hasn't gotten any traction in use is because of the cost. It really wouldn't take much to implement what you outline.

No. You won't get an amen from me. But then, even though I use an EOBR and like it, I am not Pro EOBR. At least in the sense that you seem to suggest. I am all for technology, and use what makes my life easier and allows me more productive use of my time. But I will never be in favor of forcing technology on anyone.

 

Ah... now it comes out. The true reason for the animus against e-logs..... it might actually prevent folks from skirting the regulations! Look, I know that the regs are stupid by any stretch of the imagination. I also know that there can be no one size fits all solution that would work for everyone. I did the loose leaf thing for lots of years also. But I saw all of this stuff coming a long way off and worked to modify how I was doing things to make sure that any negative effect on me would be at a minimum. So now, the e-log thing, for me, is a non negative and works quite well. I know it will be a real problem for some folks. But you have to play the cards you are dealt. It is either that, or you have to get out of the game.

 

Well, I suppose there are some companies that are tracking road speed mile by mile, but that is not happening to me. And I have pulled up the detailed reports that qualcomm stores regarding logs, and I have never seen anywhere in the information on how fast I was going at any point in time. Just the average speed over the driving time. And anyone could figure that out just by dividing the miles traveled by the time. And it sure doesn't take e-logs for a lawyer to have a field day with a driver in discovery. A good law team can just about figure out when the last time you wiped your hind end and how many sheets of toilet paper you used. I know that is an exaggeration, but it just points out that when some lawyer has you in their cross hairs, you had better get ready for a mighty rough ride.

I did state, and still do, that I am dead set against mandates of any and all kinds. I did state I was against e-logs, but I also stated I had to give it a try before pulling my truck. Well I did, and I felt no need to pull the truck cause it was not that big of a deal to go to e-logs. I never "got religion" on e-logs. I just found out that they were not the big evil ogre that everyone thought they were. It just made sense to actually give it a try and then come to an INFORMED decision about e-logs instead of just knee jerk reactions about something I knew nothing about. You know.... kinda what goes on in these threads.

 

I like to refer to it as "flexibility"

I think that's why we can have a reasonable conversation on the subject..... I don't like government intrusion, I hate hypocrites, and I see a lot of hypocrisy at the government level. You don't strike me as a hypocrite, but rather as someone who is very practical. I liked your explanation of driver benefits using e-logs. I think we've determined that it's really about being able to alter the point at which the 14 hour clock starts....