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

and knowing every law in 48 states

 

What an E-log will do.
It will automatically record the time and location you started driving.
It will automatically record the time and location you stopped driving.
It will total your hours.
It will automatically do your recap.
It will warn you of approaching violations.
It will stop "Log not current" violations.

What an E-log will not do.
It will not automatically differentiate between lines 1, 2 and 4. It only knows the truck is stopped, not what the driver is doing when stopped.
It will not automatically show line 4, even when the driver is required by the HOS to be on line 4.
It will not stop you from going into violation, as it can only warn the driver and record violations.
It will not put you in a ditch and cover your hood with snow.
It will not make you drive tired, it can't put the truck in gear, release the brakes and push the throttle, only the driver can do that.

 

A responsible driver can do the same thing.

 

"CAN" being the key word, which is different from "WILL".
BTW, even a responsible driver, can forget to change status of duty, before pulling out on the road. An E-log doesn't forget.

 

Bravo Sierra,

E Logs are subject to errors just like humans.

 

E-logs are programmed by humans. If it is programmed to go to line 3 after the truck moves the set parameters, it will go to line 3, barring a failure to the system.

 

No kidding they are!

 

The responsible drivers do the same thing....but they are getting outnumbered by irresponsible drivers...which is why we are getting so many companies requiring the use of EOBR's...

You can't just blame the drivers, the companies refusal to schedule and re-schedule loads is a big reason included in the package...remember CSA was aimed at both drivers AND companies. Just like a fence, any rule or regulation will have one or a bunch of "ones" trying to find a way to beat the system...or get to what is on the other side of the fence!

 

I know elogs wont put snow on your hood. They do however put a driver on an electric clock which pushes drivers no matter what the conditions are. On crapy day I can still put in my load and not worry about pushing hard to finish the load before some idiotic box tells me I have to quit 15-30 minutes before I reach my drop point. I can drive slower and safer which means no ditch time to try and figure out how to log.

 

I understand exactly what you are saying...and I do the same thing...but;

If the conditions, [weather, traffic, construction] are forcing the driver to delay a critical timed run, before e-logs, the companies (and drivers) would turn a blind eye as long as the load was completed within the time framed for that schedule. And, the companies would hold drivers responsible for maintaining that schedule, simply washing their hands of culpability if/when something went wrong. Yes, this does effect the driver and his pay check more so than the carrier or shipper/receiver, and in such an atmosphere, of driver responsible to carrier/shipper/receiver, and family....the driver will tend to go the "old way" to get the job done. A younger driver (not an age statement, but experience level) will buckle to these pressures and with pay check in mind will continue to push his limits, often past his/her safe driving limits....and once this decision is made, technically the carrier is "not at fault" since the driver did not say NO to running that way. If something happens, who gets the blame? The driver of course, and most times correctly blamed...but in the real world, we all know that the carrier [dispatcher, planner] was culpable indirectly by putting pressure through threat of job and income...but generally not proven since the threat was not done over a computer or recorded in the phone conversation.

Now, we (and they...carriers) are finding ways to beat the system, and the old ways are slipping back into the "norm" of this industry. If they are going to put rules and regulations on the books, enforcement and penalties need to be administered to any/all involved.