Once again, as most of us know, we are back to arguing the HOS again . The list is long on the groups arguing of the HOS screaming about more safety, yet seem to fall way short of reality arguing over letting us run eleven or ten hours and the wonderful 34 hour reset law, which makes no sense. They seem to be so concerned, yet they don't understand to let us stop our clock when we need a nap. It would put a big stop on fatigued driving . In my opinion, it would relieve some of the rush hour traffic if drivers would be able to lay down and take a nap during major rush hour traffic through major metropolitan areas instead of having to push through the city due to their fourteen hour clock. Another issue I have is the split sleeper berth. What sense does this even make really? To take a full eight hours in sleeper just to stop your clock? You might as well sit for two more hours, get your full eleven back. My main point is this rule makes no sense at all for teams.
I also have an issue with pending half hour off duty after 8 hrs of driving as I run a lot of oversized loads, where certain times during the year every minute counts. Then, add states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, who can write you up if you deviate from your route, including for truck stops.
My next big issue are EOBR's. Lawmakers seem to think this is the big fix-all for safety. I for one say this is a false sense of safety in the utmost degree. Even Joyce Brenny publicly says EOBR's won't help with safety, and that they are a tool for micro-managing. So, give them credit, it is hard for the companies to keep record of drivers log.
EOBR's are not preventing drivers speeding through small towns, out on two lanes, or the drivers speeding through construction zones while tailgating the car driving the posted speed limit. Case in point on this; I am in an uncut truck, I do not have a Qualcomm, and yes, I run paper logs, logging it as i drive it, and running the posted speed limit. Every time I make it out to California, where the speed limit for trucks is 55, I can't count how many of these outfits with EOBR's seem to disobey the posted speed limit. These outfits with their governed trucks tailgate me till they see a gap, only to then cut off traffic, becoming a rolling road block, I will admit while at ATS, I voulnteered to try EOBR's. The biggest thing here is the only way it works comes down to outfits being able to dispatch, and what good communication between the driver and the dispatcher. Case in point: you know your driver is on time and is reliable, have a load lined up, hold customers accountable on detention time and don't dispatch a 65 mph truck at an unreal. I have seen where EOBR's have become a micro-management tool. In the case of a certain CRST driver, he pulled over to take a nap only to get a phone call by dispatch asking why he had stopped and that he had hours to drive. He was then informed he needed to get back driving. Not knowing better, he went on down the road only to lay the truck over due to falling asleep . Then, there was the Western Express driver that Heather talked to. He had pulled over to take the normal restroom break. While peeing, he gets a phone call from dispatch, asking him why he had stopped and he had to get back to driving, and he did not have time to stop. Mind you, he was a flatbedder for Western Express. Makes me wonder if they allow them time to do required load checks if a guy can't stop to pee. I think lot of the personal touch has been thrown out the window when it comes down to the driver and the dispatcher. The driver has become a number and fleets have spread the dispatcher too thin when it comes down to managing drivers.
The main point I am trying to get to here is I think outfits need to start looking at the type of drivers they have under them causing them to put in a Qualcomms in the truck. EOBR's are a slap in the face of the driver, basically saying, "I dont trust my drivers on following the laws and following the HOS laws." Like I said, I run a wide open truck on paper logs, I log it as I drive it, plain and simple. Just a little fyi; that EOBR is not going to stop a driver from running that from falling asleep or disobeying speed limits.
On top of all this, we still have groups pushing for all trucks to have speed limiters (namely Prime Inc and TCA). I have a major issue with this. There are plenty fleets with cut trucks, claiming better fuel mileage. It is actually for insurance breaks. Most fleets have cut trucks have the driver running down the road, bumping the rev limiter not saving any fuel mileage. Spec the trucks right and take a hard look at the quality of the drivers you, have not the quantity.
There was time when i was company driver. I remember another driver asking why i cared bout my idle time and why i was running 60 mph. I informed of the fact that maybe if more drivers acted the same, maybe their company could give them a much needed raise or be able to afford better trucks and trailers.
If you choose to keep the quantity instead of quality up, please do not expect us that are the small companies and owner operators to support your ploy to micro manage and attempt to turn drivers into mindless zombies. If you want me to have EOBR's, you can pay for me to put them in my truck. If you want speed limiters, you can kiss my ***! If you want to stop driver fatigue, let me take a nap. Tell me I can work 14 hours within a 24 hour period, not 14 hours consecutive. If you think smart, you can eliminate stupid, just sayin.
If you see one of the EOBR'd trucks breaking the rules while "being safer," and have a Twitter, please use the hashtag #EOBRSCANTFIXSTUPID to help prove the point that EOBR's won't help fix the safety issues.
I also have an issue with pending half hour off duty after 8 hrs of driving as I run a lot of oversized loads, where certain times during the year every minute counts. Then, add states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, who can write you up if you deviate from your route, including for truck stops.
My next big issue are EOBR's. Lawmakers seem to think this is the big fix-all for safety. I for one say this is a false sense of safety in the utmost degree. Even Joyce Brenny publicly says EOBR's won't help with safety, and that they are a tool for micro-managing. So, give them credit, it is hard for the companies to keep record of drivers log.
EOBR's are not preventing drivers speeding through small towns, out on two lanes, or the drivers speeding through construction zones while tailgating the car driving the posted speed limit. Case in point on this; I am in an uncut truck, I do not have a Qualcomm, and yes, I run paper logs, logging it as i drive it, and running the posted speed limit. Every time I make it out to California, where the speed limit for trucks is 55, I can't count how many of these outfits with EOBR's seem to disobey the posted speed limit. These outfits with their governed trucks tailgate me till they see a gap, only to then cut off traffic, becoming a rolling road block, I will admit while at ATS, I voulnteered to try EOBR's. The biggest thing here is the only way it works comes down to outfits being able to dispatch, and what good communication between the driver and the dispatcher. Case in point: you know your driver is on time and is reliable, have a load lined up, hold customers accountable on detention time and don't dispatch a 65 mph truck at an unreal. I have seen where EOBR's have become a micro-management tool. In the case of a certain CRST driver, he pulled over to take a nap only to get a phone call by dispatch asking why he had stopped and that he had hours to drive. He was then informed he needed to get back driving. Not knowing better, he went on down the road only to lay the truck over due to falling asleep . Then, there was the Western Express driver that Heather talked to. He had pulled over to take the normal restroom break. While peeing, he gets a phone call from dispatch, asking him why he had stopped and he had to get back to driving, and he did not have time to stop. Mind you, he was a flatbedder for Western Express. Makes me wonder if they allow them time to do required load checks if a guy can't stop to pee. I think lot of the personal touch has been thrown out the window when it comes down to the driver and the dispatcher. The driver has become a number and fleets have spread the dispatcher too thin when it comes down to managing drivers.
The main point I am trying to get to here is I think outfits need to start looking at the type of drivers they have under them causing them to put in a Qualcomms in the truck. EOBR's are a slap in the face of the driver, basically saying, "I dont trust my drivers on following the laws and following the HOS laws." Like I said, I run a wide open truck on paper logs, I log it as I drive it, plain and simple. Just a little fyi; that EOBR is not going to stop a driver from running that from falling asleep or disobeying speed limits.
On top of all this, we still have groups pushing for all trucks to have speed limiters (namely Prime Inc and TCA). I have a major issue with this. There are plenty fleets with cut trucks, claiming better fuel mileage. It is actually for insurance breaks. Most fleets have cut trucks have the driver running down the road, bumping the rev limiter not saving any fuel mileage. Spec the trucks right and take a hard look at the quality of the drivers you, have not the quantity.
There was time when i was company driver. I remember another driver asking why i cared bout my idle time and why i was running 60 mph. I informed of the fact that maybe if more drivers acted the same, maybe their company could give them a much needed raise or be able to afford better trucks and trailers.
If you choose to keep the quantity instead of quality up, please do not expect us that are the small companies and owner operators to support your ploy to micro manage and attempt to turn drivers into mindless zombies. If you want me to have EOBR's, you can pay for me to put them in my truck. If you want speed limiters, you can kiss my ***! If you want to stop driver fatigue, let me take a nap. Tell me I can work 14 hours within a 24 hour period, not 14 hours consecutive. If you think smart, you can eliminate stupid, just sayin.
If you see one of the EOBR'd trucks breaking the rules while "being safer," and have a Twitter, please use the hashtag #EOBRSCANTFIXSTUPID to help prove the point that EOBR's won't help fix the safety issues.
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