Tracking who uses EOBRs

I keep forgetting that all the time. The tab is located, way off the the side, and I just don't even think about. Most of the time, I end up doing it later that day or even the next once I remember it. At least with paper, it's all right there in the same spot, same page.

 

And from the regulator's outside perspective they feel that this needs to be addressed, this needs to be rigidly enforced, as they see this paper flexibility as skirting the regs, and thwarting the revenue stream...

But the reality is this...

You can't regulate safety. Regulations don't make anyone safer, look at what MNdriver said was the practical result of the EOBR when it was actually applied, more risk taking and aggressive driving because the flexibility was removed from the system....

When the flexibility was returned the overall public safety factor was bettered....

The problem is, that the people charged with the writing of reg's and the creating of legislation as it applies to trucking, have no real experience with the actual task of doing the job.... they sit in offices and fabricate regulations based on what they "think" is good and practical....

A person can have the best intentions, but without firsthand experience it all becomes meaningless, as there is no well of practical knowledge for the intentioned one to draw from.... sure, they formed study groups and talked to industry executives...

But the real experts are the ones who have lived and breathed it for a third of their lifetimes.

In 18 years of trucking I have zero accidents and 3 tickets....

Why do I need an EOBR, again?

 

I'm gonna run 2 EOBR's

 

LOL!!!!!!!!!!

 

Blaming an elog for aggressive driving is pointless, that is like going out and robbing a bank and saying its your employers fault for not paying you enough. That is not an attack on anyone, just my observation. I have never had to run on one, but could see that it could add stress (unneeded) to what we do, it will just be one of things that may be out of our control, and how we as drivers choose to deal with it will determine wether we are professionals or steering wheel holders.

 

Let me know how you feel after you run on one for a couple months.

You are constantly under the gun to get everything you need done in 14 hours. Whether your shippers/consignees are ready for you ready for you or not. They don't have the product, you sit. You got 45 minutes to get to the nearest truck stop, you had best hope that you don't get caught on the dock or what not. Even if your intention IS to only get to a truck stop to shut down for your 10.


There is ZERO provisions in the laws for "getting to a safe haven". It's something created by dispatchers and office pukes to justify having you run illegal and NOT address the demurrage issue.

Yeah, it may be "my attitude" and how I deal with the stress. But the fact remains, the EOBR is NOW the MAJOR stressor in my daily job. That stressor has now created an unsafe work environment for undue reasons.

Do away with the 14 hour limit, it won't be so bad.

 

13.5 hour limit after July 1.

 

No, it's not a "13.5" hour limit.

You are still limited to 14 hours.

You just get to put a 1/2 hour mandatory break in there before your first 8 hours.

Managed correctly, that would even be possible to log as a dock time.

You do know that sitting on a dock, you CAN put yourself to off-duty or sleeper berth Per DOT Regs.

 

I actually found it to be a stress reliever as a company driver. I'd try to plan ahead and let dispatch know if I was going to be cutting it close or if a dispatch was impossible. told them I'd drive the speed limit and shut it down if I was out of hours. that's it, way better than arguing about whether I should run extra. I had one problem with a dispatcher and a call to safety ended that promptly. As an owner, it's going to be a little different, I don't run as much now. Spend more time at the desk, but I do occasionally get a load which requires extracurricular driving, it's hard to throw good money on the ground, but there's other loads.

 

Ahh ... come on. The only legal slack you have with paper logs is the 15 minute slack, that exists because the grid is in 15 minute increments ... unless you're talking about falsifying your logs ... then just pick your stressor, EOBR going tick tock or hoping your gun decked logs pass an audit.