'E' logs.

[Pat Hasler]

How many of you are using 'E'logs ?

I was worried about the company I work for starting us on them 2 years ago but 2 years has made me very for them in some ways and slightly against them in others. I had heard so many stories and old wives tales about them, most of which are just not true.

I thought I would just point out the good, the bad and the totally untrue.

1) "Elogs shut the truck off when you run out of hours" .....

2) When they had that bad weather in CT last month all the Elog trucks were stuck for hours"

All of these tales are total rubbish ! No way anywhere does an 'E'log shut down any truck, reduce the power of have any effect on the performance of any truck in any way. When you are 1 hour away from your 14 you get a 'BEEP' to warn you, another at 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 5 minutes and every minute counting down. If you run out of hours it just tells you that you are in violation and you still carry on untill you find a suitable parking place, you can then make a note to say why you ran over your time and as long as it is not a daily event nothing is usually reported. If you wanted to you can even log out of the log, carry on without anything happening but the later is ilegal. The main point is that no 'E'log on any truck will shut you down if you go over 14 hours.

Regional drivers will even get 2 extra hours added every 6 days if the log is set at 'short haul'

The bad side....

Once you log on duty you are committed to go and on a count down of 14 hours, you can't set out then change your mind and alter your log and start a new sheet but ! ..... My particular 'E'log is set to not change your mode if you drive less than 9/10th of a mile, if on sleeper or off duty it is infact possible to drive through a city stopping at traffic lights within 9/10ths of a mile without tripping the log to on duty and as you know it can take any amount of time to travel through built up areas and therefore you can actually save all that time (again ilegal) but I know those who do it.

The good side is DOT tend to leave you alone if they know you use 'E'logs, I suspect this is because most of them don't know how they actually work but know they can't be falsified (yeah right).

Another plus is that when you are out of time no matter how pushy your dispatcher is you are off duty and he can't argue with it.

My company insist we run legal even if loads are 10 hours late because you ran out of hours, the first thing any dispatcher or manager asks us is 'Do you have the hours ?' or 'Make sure you take the 10 hours off'

 

Split breaks .... If ever in the past you have used the split 2 and 8 hour rest system and messed up calculating when to have another break there is no worry with 'E'log ! ... it works it all out for you, you can have 2 hours, end the day with 8 hours and when you check your hours (can be done without logging on duty) it tells you how many hours you have before taking another 2 hours and then after that 2 hours your time is extended again.

 

Sorry if I bored you all but I hear so many fools spreading gossip about a really good system. I hope it set a few mind at ease about something that on day we will all have to use.

[Pat Hasler]

We now have a new feature with our ELOGS, we use an electronic DVIR (inspection report) as opposed to filling out a paper one. When using elogs you should always fill in an inspection at start and end of duty but it doesn't cover everything. We now have a separate DVIR provided by Peoplenet, it's very easy to use and does away with all paper reports, we have to use it ervery time we drop any trailer we have been using, we just enter our name or driver code, the trailer number, the hub reading (which as we don't use hub meters is always zero), any defects found Yes or No, details of those defects and if they make the trailer out of service, we don't actulayy put it out of service unless it is a safety issue because if we do peoplenet will not accept it in any dispatch until our workshop has reset it as repaired.

Still saves time and paper though.

[Rhett Butler]

Hi Pat ~

My current employer just began using e-logs (though I've been using them for several years) and the biggest issue with using the electronic DVIR is that the shop doesn't always look at the issues noted. Drivers drop off a unit, make the noted on the DVIR and walk away from the truck, only to be pissed that repairs weren't made. If the shop isn't notified the work doesn't get done in a timely manner.

Most of the companies I have worked for still requires the driver to fill out some type of issue report when dropping off a truck for service or issues and turn it into the shop for the mechanic to have a "check list" to make sure the issues are resolved. Just so the previous mentioned issues don't arise!

It's good to see PeopleNet has a system that won't allow a piece of equipment to be dispatched with defects though I'm sure your company paid to have that feature installed into the system. I ran a PeopleNet log for 5 years and the DVIR I used didn't do that. Then again, they also leased their equipment from Ryder which requires the driver to fill out their DVIR for any needed repairs anyway, regardless of what the company policy was.

I agree, it's easy to use, time saving and helps reduce the amount of paperwork needed, but if the shop and the electronic DVIR don't "talk" to each other it's simply going through the motions to satisfy DOT requirements.

[Michael P.Dorsey]

I ran elogs with my previous company, and I run elogs now, beats paper logs and easy to dispatch you when they know how many hours you have, cause they see it right there, I usually run 3 preplans on me at one time, works for me keeps me rolling, cuts back on staties question you about hours.

[Michael P.Dorsey]

each company can set the distance before elogs start, less then 3 miles per hour or a distance.

[Rhett Butler]

Yes they can!

My company has ours set at 15mph or 2 miles (it can be a long drive around a grocery warehouse at 10mph) and if you don't remain on a duty status for longer than 2 mins. it kicks back to the previous duty status. If it takes 2.1 miles to locate a trailer at the warehouse and it logs me on driving for 1.75 mins it kicks me back to on duty-not driving as soon as I shut off the engine. This is great for saving driving hours. They are also adjustable so if safety is only looking for 15 mins to load or unload and it takes an hour I can go back and edit the time to show only the 15 and save 45 mins on my week that I may need later. Drive time is the only status that is not adjustable, if I drive for 10.75 hours then that's what I did, I can't back it up to 10 hours and claim 45 mins circling the parking lot for a spot.

A lot depends on the type of trucking you do, how flexible safety is (or how "by the book" they are) and how they request the system to be set up for the drivers.

[Michael P.Dorsey]

also if you don't understand the 2-8 rule elogs will tell you when you can drive again, my company has a website for expanded situations, shows how much you have if you take a 2 hour break, vs 8 hours, vs 10. it will even email and or fax results to you. You can have paper copies for your records.

[David Campau]

I used them with schneider and loved it I guess it really depends on the programs the company uses, their are a few different ones in use.

[Stephen McMann]

I am a canadian driver and I would not go back to the old way. We are with PepoleNet. I love how it flips over to USA & Canada rules when you cross the border. And how it keeps track of your recap. We all are getting lazy but that is the goverment way of keeping track of us out here.

[Smart Trucking Gal]

Very smart Pat, to clear up the 'myths' about e-logs. There are clear advantages to using the system, but some distinct disadvantages too. One that I particularly don't like is that shippers/dispatch expect a driver to 'go' if the clock says he's now legal to do so, no matter what the time. 2am? Time to go. The body clock doesn't agree with the e-log system....and this is a serious problem. The purpose of the e-logs is to avoid sleepy drivers, and dispatching a driver to leave at a ridiculous time through the night just because the system says it's legal, isn't the answer.

We discuss the elog system in some depth at this link and the safety issues involved.

[Rhett Butler]

Ya know dispatchers used that argument for years, even before e-logs. Many times I would start a day, run for 3 hours, deliver and get stuck with no load available, then after 10 or 12 hours get a load that picks up at 1800 to deliver at 0330 the next morning, without getting more than 2 or 3 hours sleep. "But you had all day off, no?" was the usual reply. The argument of "You get up, work for 3 hours and try to go back to bed for another 10 hours and see if it works for you" was usually met with some witty comment about you being the only truck for miles around that can make the run, even though there were 4-5 other trucks that were there when you parked and at least 2 remain within sight as you argue with dispatch!

When I got into this business most of the office help were former drivers that wanted more home time. They understood what it meant to be a driver. Today companies look for people with office experience to be dispatchers and managers, the only thing they know about trucking is they pass by them on the way to work every day.

[robert w. bacon]

im an old school driver benn out here for 30 yrs and i now use e logs most of the time i love them but there are times like when im just a little short like 50 or so miles from makimg a load or home when i would like to be back on paper but most of the time i like them

 

[Princess Crystal!]

  My husband was worried when his past co. told him he was switching. He almost quit but didnt want to look like a job hopper. I told him to try it for 6 months, if he didnt like it, then switch.. Within the first week he loved it! Like you said, the company CAN NOT make you run if you are out of hours... He got the rest he needed between loads... Not only that, but since he got the rest he needed, he was able to run like he was supposed to..  

  His miles increased!!!!!!!!! He was actually getting a paycheck.. and if you consider the company he was working for at the time, GETTING A CHECK WAS A MIRACLE with them lol.

  Now he is with a company that doesnt have Elogs, and at least 2x a week I hear about how he misses them, and how he hates having to screw with paper logs now.

  So Im with you on this one... Im all for elogs.. The only ppl I dont think are "for" elogs are the ones that wanna drive 24/7 or the ones that wanna drive 2 sleep 4 drive 2 sleep 6 and so on LOL (I have known a few ppl like this)