Why CSA 2010 and E-Logs are a good thing.

My experience is, the majority haven't even read the regs, they just go by what people tell them, right or wrong.

 

But they do know that when all else fails.. the Federal Marshals will be there to make things right.

 

Ain't no doubt about that, Driver!

 

Think about it for a bit there Meltom.

Say you have a run that is 700 miles round trip. You are in a truck governed to 68 mph. You are not running the super slab so you have to slow down for towns etc. You have a scheduled load time and unload time to deal with that doesn't let you drive out the day before. The receiver has a thing for drivers that leave early and they get real upset if you leave to early. If they have to cancel the load due to issues in the plant and you are already out there because you left way to early then you are stuck sitting around not getting paid because they will not pay you a no load because you left way too early.

This particular run usually runs me out of driving hours about 30 miles from my unload point. Running on Elogs I would be stuck taking a sleeper break more then 30 miles away and that is not a good thing when you run a trailer that is not completely climate controlled and it is 30 below zero outside.

Now that is taking your time and driving like a human. Now set your hair on fire and spend the day trying to squeeze every last mph out of the truck and you can make the trip and only be acouple mins past your 11 hour driving time.

Then do to the time it takes to load and unload and having to stop for fuel because the company cut your tanks down and you can only get about 500 ish miles to a full load of fuel. Forget about it being a long day and you might have to take a dump somewere along the way. Forget that big craving for a hot meal in the middle of the day. You will be making a sandwich on the passenger seat as you are trying to meet a schedule.

I know it is wrong but on loose leaf. I start my log for the day, do my thing, stop for a meal, sit back and cruise and not worry about trying to squeeze that last mph out of the truck. I get to my load spot, load the truck, tear the page out and start a new one saying that I made the trip in an amount of time that lets me get there and back and not raise too many eye brows with MR DOT. On the way back I take my time, can't get much speed in the first part of the return leg because I am grossing close to 105,500 lbs and there are alot of hills to contend with in the first part of the return trip. Once on the flats and closer to my unload point, I stop and top off the tanks and fill my coffee mug and don't mess around getting back to my unload point because I have to make my Fuel reciept match my log book and it has to correspond with the scale ticket time stamp when I check in to unload.

I will never pass up this run because it is one of our better paying runs and I can make some good cash doing it. I can do this run then go Ag exempt(local under 150 air miles) and still keep making money to feed my family and put some in the bank for when we have to shut down due to waiting for the new crop to be ready.

The thing is, that not everyone has the same type of trucking job. Your Elogs might be great for you guys that load one day and have 2-3 days to go 1200-1500 miles. They would hamper my job the majority of the time. I would make alot less money if I had to run them.

 

So establishing a pattern of non-compliance for a few dollars more is more important to you than running safely?

 

Sounds like the customer's problem, not a driver's problem.

 

And I would be willing to bet my yearly income on that statement with you. 100% correct.

I pulled cans for awhile and ran into alot of Federal Marshals on a daily basis. I have yet to have any problems with my paper logs.

Thought I already covered this.

I think if you took RAT's company he drives for they too would have a better record then the bigger guys... Therefore he is "safer" even though he admits a pattern of non-compliance. LIke I have stated the e-logs have NOTHING to do with safety.

 

How is it the customer's problem when it is the driver that isn't making his money? Like he has stated he makes a certain amount of money off the run he does and with e-logs that is taking money out of his family's mouth. If you like e-logs good for you but don't force them on everybody else just because you have to run em. Enjoy your e-logs.

 

E-logs have to do with compliance of the HOS. The HOS have to do with safety.

 

Okay and so then I will say it to you too. You get together 10 guys running E-logs and I will get together 10 guys runnin paper and I bet my guys have a better compliance record. E-logs do NOTHING for the better good of the industry.