E Logs
I admit that I stood up and said not me. I am OK with an EOBR as long as I am the last one to get one. Then I joined a company that ran exclusively on electronic logs. They aren’t that bad. The company that I was leased on previously had GPS tracking in the reefer units. They could ping you at anytime. If your paper logs did not match your location, you received an EOBR. My fear of the EOBR made me log legally anyway. So actually getting one turned out to be not a big deal.
You are already electronically logged. Your truck probably has an ECU. Every time you use your co
mputer or cell phone on the road, you are electronically logged. Fueling, toll booths now have to match the time, not just the day. Lawyers know to obtain these electronic records. If you’re sitting at a red light and someone rear ends you, you might get sued. If your paper logs don’t match your electronic mapping, that could be bad.
The same things work on Elogs as paper logs. Be smart and plan. If you can take your 10 hour break at a shipper, do it. The Elogs don’t start until you start them either with a pre trip or by moving the vehicle. Some regular customers might even allow you to open the doors and back into a dock overnight. Use whatever you can. With Elogs you become wary of starting your day too soon. You don’t want to start your clock by driving to a shipper 2 hours before your appointment and waiting. Now, because of the 14 hour rule I try to be there 30 minutes early instead of as soon as possible.
One thing I learned the easy way is that 10:00 might not mean 10 hours. It might mean 9:59. I was standing there listening to someone else telling dispatch that his EOBR registered 10 when he went On Duty. It was registering 9:59 at the office. Waiting to 10:01 will make sure that you have taken a 10 hour break. I wait for 10:02, so there is no way of a round off error. The same thing occurs with the new 30 minute break, making it 31 can save having to take another break.
Elogs can’t eliminate cheating. There are ways to “cheat” the elog system, but they might save a minute or two. Editing is a possibility. My company can edit logs from the office. We have a strict policy. You can’t edit line 3. They won’t go beyond the day to go back and find hours. I had a show recently and everyday logged on duty not driving. At the end of the day I just logged off duty. One day, I did not remember if I logged off or not. I called the office and they were able to log me off when I actually left the show. That is making the logs accurate, not cheating.
My adaptation to electronic logging has been no big deal. The other day they really helped me. I had a delivery scheduled for 18:00 at the Augusta, GA post office. I had no directions and I went to the address on the bills. It was the front of the post office deliveries were around back. I documented my arrival at 17:55. That was cutting it closer than I like, but on time. I was directed around to the back of the building and told to back into a dock. As I was backing in a guy was waving his arms and telling me they would not unload me (4 skids). They refused any load that arrived after 18:00 (the appointment time on the bills). It was now 18:09 on their clock. The supervisor was telling me to come back the next day. I told her that I arrived at 17:55. She did not care. Then I told her that I could document it. She looked at me and said how. I told her that my electronic log showed me arriving at the building at 17:55. I could prove it. They took the load.