Would any of you use an ELD without being forced to?

I don't see it as government over reaching because it's the same laws we already have. Let's use the ELDs against the shippers and receivers. Let force them to pay for detention or more per mile.

Why do drivers and companies want to sit for free then drive over the HOS. I'm not on call 24/7 for free and my time is not unlimited. So make them pay for our time and the ELDs are perfect for this. They can also load or unload in 2 hours and we can get back to driving making money. If they want me to sit at the dock for 70 hours. I can do that aslo just pay me for my time.

 

And it's certainly a whole lot easier to get the customer to agree to pay a fair rate for detention when half your competition can no longer fudge the books and pretend that delay getting loaded never happened.

 

I’ve dreamed about throwing that box out the window and dragging it down the road with cord attached at 75mph a few times.. I’m not looking to be a outlaw just need WANT some grey area here and there.. I have run out of hours less than a hour from the house quite a few times but just let it go into violation or logged out, I’m not camping that close and not making my wife round trip me to the Truck..I’ve also camped plenty of times in places I didn’t want to cause of that dang box to..Idk how you eld nazis cheerlead for it so much, it’s garbage that I’m paying for it...go figure..

 

I see the thought behind both statements. However it will never happen. To many that can't see tomorrow but only today and another fine opportunity to pull a cheap load. They can't see the forest for the trees.

 

If you don't want the price of goods going up that's fine. But you forfeit the right to ever complain about low driver wages or low freight rates again.

 

But there is a ton of grey area in the current regs. No need to get creative on paper to make it look legal.

Perfect example of this grey area: i live in Sarasota Florida and a lot of my get home loads go to the miami area, same with my local work. I get to my reciever in Miami with in my 14 hours but get delayed unloading so by the time im empty i only have 2 hours remaining yet 3.5 hours off a drive home. Anyone that's been down 27 knows that there is only 1 spot To stop. 2 truck stops in South bay. I got the hires to maddie south bay but lo and behold no parking left. Cant take my ten on the side of the road so i head to the next safe spot to park, which happens to be my driveway, putting me 1.5 hours over my 14. Make a notation explaining why i went over and take a full ten hour break.

That's the grey area. How much mire grey area do you need?

And before anyone mentions dot. Ive been through a few dot inspections with that exact scenario, and other similar ones showing in the last 8 days and the only thing that was ever said was something to the effect of "what happened here?". After a quick explanation it was forgotten and moved on from. No ticket, no csa point written warnings. They know things happen and don't expect perfection. They are looking fir habitual offenders, not the guy that gets stuck out over his 14 due to the occasional thing keeping hon from getting parked. And they certainly don't want guys taking ten hour breaks in unsafe locations.

 

Your empty doing this, not under a load. Big difference.
Personal conveyance has always been allowed. Not too much grey there.

 

In what way does having a ELD force a shipper or receiver to write that check for detention? What if they treat it just like they do now and don't care? I think your reading to far into it and your a company driver that your company doesn't pay you when the shipper or receiver don't pay you. This is a problem with your employer, not them. There is no way to force them to pay. 1980 The trucking industry deregulated, everyone wanted to be Independent. I agree that most was bull spit, however there was somethings lost. Shippers, Co. had 7 days to pay contractors or the ICC would step on them. No filing on there insurance bond, just call and mail copy of unpaid freight bill. Now we are being forced to regulate again, however there is nothing in it for us small guys. Pay is not going to increase enough to cover the rise in cost of goods. Its time to pick a side son, are you a sheep or a wolf?

 

Just thinking out loud but what's the odds of ELD dropping the rates. Is it possible that trucks will book a lower rate to get the truck moving while the driver has hours? You gotta think if people are dumb enough to run crazy miles for cheap thinking they are making money will they think that the truck has to move the minute hours are available to make money. It's obvious they are not accountants.