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What I hear at the tater chip factory is the plants using people net with the drivers is horrible. It tracks you to right where you are and if the speed limit drops to 60 instead if 65 it will ding you for speeding.
I'm happily waiting for my people net :(
 
I'm curious why people think some runs will be cut due to e-logs. If a scheduled run couldn't be legally logged on paper, it wouldn't have been opened in the first place. I have a 630-mile meet, so suffice it to say I'm concerned, but I just can't see why they would go so far as to cut a run and reroute a lane if it's already being run and logged legally and reasonably consistently. Thoughts, anyone?
 
fedestes said:
I'm curious why people think some runs will be cut due to e-logs. If a scheduled run couldn't be legally logged on paper, it wouldn't have been opened in the first place. I have a 630-mile meet, so suffice it to say I'm concerned, but I just can't see why they would go so far as to cut a run and reroute a lane if it's already being run and logged legally and reasonably consistently. Thoughts, anyone?
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It's just the "what if's" what if your meet guy has a flat leaving you stuck between lost and found on your 14. What if you sit 4 hours on the Greensboro bench before you get your bills. Traffic jams, accidents etc. We have day runs thats less than 600 miles that takes every piece of 11 hours because of traffic. Now, the way I understand it. You can legally drive yourself back to the barn regardless of what slowed you down but there's some that will disagree. In the comic book world it's easy to make little things disappear but in the computerized world, your hour meter keeps ticking no matter what. I think a night time 630 mile trip shouldn't be a problem but they may make everything idiot proof. I think a lot of the runs that gets cut depends on who's running it. Some drivers are Schm*cks. You know the ones with the porky pine haircut with glasses so thick they look like Mr. Magoo. They wear their d.o.t. certified vest in the bunk room and have the number to OSHA on speed dial. These are the ones that will f it up.
 
One thing I've liked about the e-logs I've used in the past is that if you get stuck in traffic, it forces you into "on duty not driving" mode. Helps you not run out of hours on line 3.
 
mildew said:
It's just the "what if's" what if your meet guy has a flat leaving you stuck between lost and found on your 14. What if you sit 4 hours on the Greensboro bench before you get your bills. Traffic jams, accidents etc. We have day runs thats less than 600 miles that takes every piece of 11 hours because of traffic. Now, the way I understand it. You can legally drive yourself back to the barn regardless of what slowed you down but there's some that will disagree. In the comic book world it's easy to make little things disappear but in the computerized world, your hour meter keeps ticking no matter what. I think a night time 630 mile trip shouldn't be a problem but they may make everything idiot proof. I think a lot of the runs that gets cut depends on who's running it. Some drivers are Schm*cks. You know the ones with the porky pine haircut with glasses so thick they look like Mr. Magoo. They wear their d.o.t. certified vest in the bunk room and have the number to OSHA on speed dial. These are the ones that will f it up.
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I understand what your saying. I agree that it depends at least in part on the loose nuts holding the sterring wheels. I've been on this run since January. I've had multiple flat tires, one blown radiator hose, and at least a couple of winter accident-caused road closures, but I've never been in a situation where I had to make my log book show anything other than what I actually did. The "what-ifs" are already there, regardless of what type of logging system you use. I just hope they look at each run realistically and consider how it's been running up to that point. I'm sure there are runs that are cutting it close. As far as waiting for loads, the recording I listened to from Junior Johnson talked about changes in dispatching where we do more of it ourselves. What I'm hoping for, at least for the scheduled runs, is that they use this information of when we actually depart on our run and compare it to the scheduled cut times and start making some improvements. It seems to be a common problem that guys are waiting for loads to be built or for OTR trailers to arrive which, as you said, really pushes an already long run tight against that ever-running clock. And I know exactly the type of drivers you are talking about. Luckily, we don't have many in my barn, and they've made enough of a reputation for themselves that everything they say is taken with a grain of salt. Time will tell, I guess. I'm just a little paranoid about taking a huge hit in the wallet.
 
I ran for Werner on a dedicated acct before getting the estes testes and the theory was that the computer logs dont allow for any play. if you run out of hours on the exit ramp, you're in violation. That's a ding on the companies CSA. They will cut runs to make certain you have plenty of time. I wouldn't expect any run over 600 miles at most and to be realistic, probably 550.
 
Bluto said:
I ran for Werner on a dedicated acct before getting the estes testes and the theory was that the computer logs dont allow for any play. if you run out of hours on the exit ramp, you're in violation. That's a ding on the companies CSA. They will cut runs to make certain you have plenty of time. I wouldn't expect any run over 600 miles at most and to be realistic, probably 550.
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I just don't see it, except for in extreme case where certain runs are already on the border. It's not like we're OTR where we have to plan out where we're going to stop for the night. I already know my destination and that it takes me exactly 5 hours of driving time to get to my meet, same as the other guy. The only thing that moves that time back is if I stop to answer a nature call, which I don't normally log but which the Peoplenet will bump me down to on/not driving. There are too many runs in that 550+ range that the company counts on to move that next-day or 2nd-day freight, which is, after all, what we do. Think of the rerouting and the extra people and equipment they would have to pay for for what? To make a computer in the truck happy? As far as violations, I've heard the same thing here I was told at Fedex - if you run out of hours (and can't use your 16-hour exception) then you shut the truck down, even if you're a mile from your terminal. Period. Yes, running out of hours is something that can potentially happen, but how often would it really happen? Iit falls on me as a driver to manage my time and if there's people that just can't make that work, the e-logs will show that. The e-logs aren't mandatory (yet), and from what I've seen of this company, they aren't going to voluntarily take this on if doing so forces them to make drastic, expensive changes to they way we move freight. So does the company panic and cut runs just because something 'might' happen? My guess is no and that's why this isn't happening overnight. Ok, rant finished. Off to bed.
 
I wouldn't fret about e-logs, mgmt can adjust them, just like we used to our paper logs, they do it every single day at Sysco using XATA, I used PeopleNet at PFG and they did the same thing, in fact its easier, we can't do it but mgmt can, and will, to make the books look good.

I am a 60 hr 7 day driver, I have worked over 60 hrs, and been behind the wheel for the past month, I haven't heard a word, I get paid for it and they fix it.
 
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