ATA praises newly passed highway bill

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ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking Associations has praised the House and Senate conference committee for their work in passing “a safety-conscious highway bill that lays a solid foundation for addressing America’s need for an efficient goods movement network.”

The group was quick to note that the legislation was “not all we could have hoped for as an industry and as users of the highway system.”

That said, ATA president and CEO Bill Graves said the bill “makes tremendous strides in the safety arena and puts down a marker for future improvements to our nation’s freight infrastructure,” and “will benefit not just the trucking industry, but highway safety and the economy as a whole.”

Graves said of particular importance was the committee’s inclusion of several initiatives advocated by ATA, including a requirement that commercial trucks use electronic logging devices to record drivers’ compliance with Hours-of-Service limits, the creation of a clearinghouse to track drug and alcohol test results, a study of crashworthiness standards for large trucks, the establishment of standards for systems to provide employers with timely notifications of drivers’ moving violations, and mandatory testing of  new carriers entering the industry to verify their knowledge of safety requirements.

“Despite misinformation from a vocal minority, the conferees have set our industry on the path to even greater improvements in safety by requiring the Department of Transportation to mandate that truck drivers use electronic devices to record their compliance with the Hours-of-Service requirements,” Graves said. “This is a tremendous leap forward for trucking, which will bring our compliance systems into the 21st Century, levelling the playing field for our industry and lead to even fewer crashes on our nation’s highways.

“In addition to the ELD requirement, the bill also requires DOT to conduct a field study of pending changes to the restart provisions in the Hours-of-Service regulations. ATA has pressed DOT to follow through on the recommendations of their own researchers to confirm their finding in a ’real-world‘ field study before implementing the pending changes. Logically, DOT should confirm the efficacy of the planned changes in the real world, before making the new provisions effective,” Graves said.

The bill also lays a foundation for improvements in freight transportation, though said ATA chairman Dan England notes that the bill lacks the increases in funding necessary to address the industry’s growing needs.

“ATA has long supported increasing user fees, specifically the diesel tax, to fund overdue repair and expansion of our highway system,” England said. “While this bill does not do that, it does make impressive reforms to the planning process which will reduce costs and speed construction projects, including making freight transportation a greater priority, along with providing certain enticements for states to fund freight projects. It is our sincere hope that as these reforms take effect, Congress quickly gets back to drafting legislation that provides the adequate funding we need to maintain and grow our infrastructure network and dedicates funds to the movement of freight.”

Despite a mostly positive response to the bill, ATA officials said it falls “significantly short” in the area of truck productivity.

“While there is much to like about this bill, ATA is extremely disappointed that Congress has once again kicked the can down the road with respect to truck productivity,” Graves said. “By giving into fear-based misinformation, this bill delays the deployment of some of our industry’s safest, most fuel efficient trucks. We fully expect this latest study to confirm what numerous other studies have already told us: modest increases in truck size and weight limits have a net positive effect on highway safety and maintenance.”

At least one group also voiced its displeasure at the bill’s provision for electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs).

“The EOBR proposal doesn’t just have a few warts, it’s riddled with tumours, rendering it totally ineffective at improving safety,” says Todd Spencer, executive vice-president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). “The issue is far from settled.”

A regulatory version of an EOBR mandate was struck down by a federal Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit because the FMCSA failed to deal with the harassment of drivers. Noted in that ruling was the fact that no research has shown how such a mandate would do anything to improve highway safety.

“There is no proof that EOBRs being used for Hours-of-Service compliance will improve highway safety,” says Spencer, noting that it has been estimated that the current EOBR rulemaking will cost the industry $2 billion if enacted.

“Proponents have pushed for EOBRs and other technology under the pretext of safety while at the same time opposing basic training standards. They want small businesses to spend billions on something that will never make up for the lack of training,” says Spencer. “That hypocrisy proves this is actually a way for large motor carrier companies to squeeze more ‘productivity’ out of drivers and increase costs for the small trucking companies they compete with,” said Spencer.

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  • The ATA just ruined small companies and independents which has always been their goal. Today I hang up the keys, the industry has become just as corrupt as the ATA, lobbyists and the people sitting behind a desk in Washington making the rules. Anne Ferro….no real world experience in the industry but LaHood put her in a positiin she knows nothing about, this will be the death of the industry as we knew it. Good luck America because the country will feel the impact.

  • Eobr will pass becouse the big carriers use them. Just another way to move single truck owners out of the way. Truck driver are losing there jobs and they sit and watch and do nothing. Just like most things in america.

  • These recorders will not stop the stupidity on the road due to these absent minded morons that drive with no common sense, as a trucker we are getting riddleculled and targeted for bad drivers in cars and trucks. How come the govt dont start cracking down on 4 wheelers and bad motorcycle riders that cause alot of accidents due to cellphone use, and the police are just as bad on the phone.

  • EOBR’s have no supporting documentation to make a stand that it will make highways safer, the reduction in the HOS will do nothing but add more trucks to the highway (making it more unsafe) drive the freight rates even lower. The need for larger trucks and heavier loads is stupid and dangerious. If you refuse to give further training to make drivers safer in the current CMV’s what the hell do you think bigger will do?

  • I agree Yankee , they def need to crack down on the 4 wheelers and police with there excessive cell phone use and following the law for instance the law (turn on lights in bad weather wipers on lights on) lack of common sense , if it’s foggy raining dark snowing these ppl are to lazy to reach over and turn there headlight switch to the on position . These driving lights that come on when u turn the vehicle on does not turn on there taillights ,and no texting law hahahahahah they still do it , they can make these vehicle do all kinds of shit now of days ,why don’t they make the car disable itself if a cell signal is detected when the motor is running , that would stop texting and cell use . But trucker drivers are alway At fault for the accident or riding someone’s ass even if the cut us off . I can go on and on a out the bullshit we all go thro but who is gonna listen, I say all trucker stop delivering loads for 2 week and give this country a wake up call , but we have these truck drivers out here that don’t give a shit about the real truck driver there just out here from oversea or where the hell they are from to send there money back to there country where it worth more then the American dollar .
    Maverick signing off !!!!!!

  • EOBR unit 500.00, 30.00/month for data storage. Meets all requirements and is DOT legal. We can’t afford that? What it will do is stop the “super truckers” from breaking HOS rules. They are there for a reason. I remember my last trip through a few southern states. It was like bumper cars with big trucks moving down the highway.

  • this should be of no surprise, people have let the government get used to passing any laws it wants to in the name of safety all over this nation. why should this be any different. the individual’s liberty in this country means nothing any more. when they want to violate the constitution of an individual they just cite safety or civil law. and most wont care or say anything because it dose not effect them in any way, or so they think. the independent trucker has been the back bone of this country and the reward for all his struggles and hard work is to try and regulate him out of business. this is what happens when we stop being Americans and go from a punitive state to a preventive state. preventive state is a socialist state not concerned with the individual’s liberty. ” THEY THAT CAN GIVE UP LIBERTY FOR A LITTLE TEMPORARY SAFETY, DESERVE NEITHER THE LIBERTY NOR THE SAFETY.” by: Ben Franklin. one of the founding fathers of this country.

  • I got something for the four wheelers im damn sick of after 17 years DVR cameras off ebay that record every second around my truck! Fully Hd! No finger pointing he said she said BS cause i know who’s fault its gonna be! No more false DAC reports by companies either!

    My saftey officer has done found that out when i got? How do we know you hit a deer? Pulled out my phone slapped the sd card in and said you have some popcorn?

    Lovin it! Cant wait to my next four wheeler incident that i can break the camera out!

    I hope every truck driver on the road starts getting them to hang the four wheelers in court!

  • I guess its time to hang the keys, I dont mind d electronic logs if the change the 10 hour rest to 8 the way I feel it should be for highway drivers… Who got their bed inches away from the steering wheel…. What is good about this Bill Nothing!!! Next thing I know government will want to know everytime I go to d restroom…. Damn these people…. Seriously…!!

  • What will they think of next ????? The rail yard took the majority of trucking and our freight already we are getting the crumbs that is falling off the table and they are doing everything to take that too….Please drivers let us shut the trucks down for the 2 weeks I am ready to participate….. Safety my ass… this is ABUSE
    S-UCK
    A-LL
    F-ROM
    E-VERY
    T-RUCKER
    Y-EARLY… Thats what they are doing…

  • I hung my keys this spring after 25 years of driving. With these EOBRs it’s almost impossible to make a living out there if you have to make a truck payment and support a home. All these new rulings don’t do anything to support the driver; they all cater to big industry. If they really wanted to improve safety, they’d start requiring shippers and receivers to be more efficient and time aware. As for electronic harassment, the trucking companies monitor your movements and then use the phone to jack you around so there is no record of it in their office. And about longer lengths and heavier loads, companies are going back to Super Singles which seriously impact braking ability especially if the trailer is loaded unevenly. Show me the safety in all of this!!!

  • I had been an OTR driver for 40 years and 4 million miles without a ticket or chargeable accident, and I have never once been put out of service at a scale. I attained this kind of record because, over the years, if I was tired, I pulled into a truckstop or rest area for a nap. If they make EOBR’s mandatory, my style of running would be illegal, since they took away the split break. It does not enable a driver to take a decent rest when tired. The current administration especially has ruined the trucking industry, the rates are so low now it is not worth doing anymore. Ever since deregulation, trucking has been on a downward spiral; and the majority of the drivers out there now just bend over and take it instead of shutting the whole works down. I just quit trucking after that 40 years and took early retirement, because I am sick of the bottom line not being any more than what a Wal-Mart job would pay.

  • I am very disapointed by the decision of congress but the only intent was to get rid of owner opporators. I do ok and I don’t have kids or a wife. I dread the thought of someone trying to take care of their family on using eobrs.

  • Bull sh!t….
    I hope rates go through the roof and everyone doesn’t make it to there destination till a day or 2 late now.
    I agree with the let’s park the tricks idea for 2 weeks and see what happens! Every truck!!! Park it!!

  • This is simply a way to successfully drive a true independent owner operator out of business!! With that electronic logging will def have some drivers bankrupting immediately…We truck drivers are already limited to a whole lot of privileges on the roads as it is!!! Not to mentioned. What rules or they changing for these four wheelers driving long distance and these RV drivers better yet a truck driver is always guilty until proven innocent in the case of accidents anyways……Smh

  • Drivers are not automatons; wind them up and they do just what you expect. Anyone who thinks that they can control what a driver does 24 hours a day is a fool. When I drove a truck there was plenty to think about in addition to trying to stay alive. Load safety, vehicle condition, weather, speed, on-time deliveries, traffic conditions, weight, scales, rogue cops, arranged “accidents”, dangerous shippers and receivers, criminals. lot lizards, faggots, beggars, thieves, DOT, HOS, hot meals, showers, log book accuracy, pay, time off, fatigue, vitamins, and the most irritating words in the english language; “Thats The Drivers Responsibility!” I once was given a ticket for being a reckless driver by a Florida sheriff (a small town idiot) who observed me for less than 10 minutes. He had the nerve to track me in his personal vehicle, put his lights on bright on a narrow bridge and totally blind me; then went and got in an official vehicle, chased me down and called “me” a reckless driver and told me that I almost ran him off the road; then he lied on the ticket and said he tracked me by radar. I’ve got a lot of respect for state Highway Patrol but absolutely none for fools who wear the uniform but don’t know the meaning of integrity. He taught me to be a very careful driver so whenever I drive to Key West; from Miami to the Keys, I always drive 5 miles less than the posted speed limit straight through. Some of the other drivers show me their appreciation by waving, often, with one finger, of one hand. It’s hard to hear their additional appreciative comments because I keep the windows rolled up to enjoy the AC. I think that if they change the regs often enough then no one will be able to follow the law and we’ll all become crooks.

  • EOBR’s are just another way for the big carrier’s to make their drivers do exactly what they want. While at the same time killing the small truck company. Once again these big company’s made fools of congress and the FMCSA. It will hurt safety and truckers abilities to get the job done. We need regulations but not micro-management at the lowest level. Most of us truckers do our job safely, why punnish everyone for a very small percentage who abuse the system. Catch and punish them LEAVE ME ALONE.
    Jim Wood
    Wood Trucking

  • The way politics is into the DOT, we might as well cut up our CDL’s and find another line of work…..then they can hire all the russians, nigerians, mexicans, east indians, and pakistanies, they want. When all the B>S> doesn’t increase safety, let ’em try to blame the American Trucker. The DOT, ATA, Labor unions, and congress couldn’t change a light bulb if they all tried. Did I forget CSA?
    My goat cart will work just fine in bringing fresh produce to the local mosgue.

  • How many nights do I see eobr trucks roll into truck stops at their 11liquor or 14just hour and double and or triple park? Every night! I personally know just two that work with eobr’s and the only thing on their minds are 11a hours and go go go. This kind of me mentality process makes for unsafe driving.
    I have been out her on and off since 81. These eobr’s are not making anyone safer they are going to put me out of business as I’m not foing to pay to install such a device. Who is paying for eobr’s in the Mexican trucks? The us government aka me and you.

    How anout lets get the drivers who cannot read or write Emglish off the road? This is a preexisting law that rarely have I seen enforced. (1 time in 3million miles)

    So we raise rhe rates twice. Once for eobr. Omce for nobama care. I have insurance. I have paperless logs. Lets fix ehat needs fixing and stop finding solutions to address unknown problems.

  • Hey Quit BITCHIN you drivers have only yourselves to blame. You could not shut down because you would lose money. Well now it looks like you will let another rright slip away. I only have to put up with this crap 2 1/2 more years. If you ever get your crap together and do shut down, you may get some of what you deserve. More pay More respect.

  • I love it! I’m gonna keep doing what I been doing for years cause I’m a true hardcore truck driver with balls! Da hell with D.O.T. and EOBR’s just get them loads off.

  • I think the EOBRs are a fantastic idea as long as they are are interfaced with electronic logs. To many companies play games with the EL as in deliveries where a so called 10 hour rest is destroyed by a shippers or receivers games along with the no parking in their premis even if they run you out of hours.
    We might do ourselves a favor in many ways by instead of fighting the rules stand steadily by the rules.
    1. We will at least be treated as a human instead of a option on the truck.
    2. It will shift the loads as compliance will open up those tight load demands as dispatchers find they can’t push a driver beyond the law.
    3. As a result of compliance it will possibly create a driver shortage where we as drivers can make earnings that are respectable without dang if you do dang if you don’t.
    4 If strict compliance does not create a driver shortage it will only be because it will increase the need for more drivers thus increase of pay.
    In 1973 my uncle driving for Matlack in the Ohio area was making $36,000 a year! What are we making now?
    The real abuse is abuse of drivers. If your greedy enough to kill yourself and others to skirt the law for a extra buck your life earnings will be short lived. Time we make a decent wage while working safely!

  • EOBRS. I’m an owner operator. I do not need the nanny state telling me when I’m tired, or rested or able to make my delivery or pick-up. The real world does not and I repeat DOESNOT!!!!!!!!! operate this way. I offer what alot of other companies don’t- Dpendable service. If I tell you my rooster can plow, don’t ask how just start looking for the harness to hook him up. Don’t worry about the “how”, I’ll take care of it-that’s my job.I can’t make a living by not being safe. If the DOT can decide when I’m able to work or rest alot of freight is going to be sitting on the dock or the road and alot of drivers will go broke. I agree that the hours we keep is sometimes odd or inconvinent but that is why we get the big bucks. If EOBRS are installed we all we suffer because frt won’t make due to hous of service violations because the shipper was slow to load or the rreciever at the last stop was running behind. The driver is left holding the bag, (hours of service violations or in many of my loads it is a timed pick and run on both the consignor and the consignee) WE need traning for new drivers, not more regulations. A work ethic needs to be taught. Just look at what you see now. Flip flops, cut off shorts,ragged T shirts,and a devil may care attitude. This is some the reasons the gov’t thinks it needs to” hold our hands.” Oh and one more thing Just where are all these trucks that are “out of hours” going to park?

  • I remember in1992 when went to the cdl they said we would make better money.all it did was raise my license from 65 to 200 .now with the background check its over 300.Ive been out here for over 24 years accident free.10 level one inspections in a row clean.Ive had enough of this bull crap.time to shut down.a real shutdown.we have gave enough.brokers srew us so much its not funny.please dont tell me eobrs work thats bull crap.the drivers telling this line of bull are tyhe same ones going thru truck stop parking lots doing 30 and thengoing around a driver backing in.

  • It looks Like the Big industries think the can controll Big Brother, excuseme but Open pandoras box and what comes out nomatter how little it apears will grow and you will never get it back in.
    mark my words this won’t stop till Milk costs $10.00 a quart but it’ll be too late that Deamon has been let loose. I’ll keep an eye on what comes, worst case I’ll scrap the Rigs I have.
    why sell to sombody knowing Big Brother will crush them.

  • Kind of off topic and I need some advice but I notice a few posters speaking of the need for training more new drivers. What would this include as I have a South Carolina CDL-A and drove with ROEL Trucking trainers on the road for 3 weeks. The day before road test for my own truck Dad had a stroke back in SC and obviously I didn’t test and had to give up that job. That was a couple yrs ago and I have nursed him back to health and ready to hit the road. I was surprised to see that now I’m in a bad situation as NO truck co. will even talk to me without 1 year over the road experience, which I dont have, and since I already hold a CDL it eliminates me from the training and job placement offered by so many company’s. Is their an OO out there reading this who could take me on the road with them for training or how do I get back in to the business? I have an e-mail address I dont mind posting for any advice or help the pro’s out there have to offer and that is snowchaser5505@aol.com I’m in the Greenville,SC area. Thank you.

  • Electronic logs for all….say hello to higher freight prices since i see no mention of detention time pay. Paper logs come in very handy when a shipper keeps you tied up on the dock for 3 hours then wants you to deliver 700mi away the next morning.

  • It smells like big buisness bottom line big carrier companys at work. While all of us owner ops are running hard paying taxes keeping 2 countries at float and being away from our families the devil is hard at work not resting not sleeping but manipulating all the gov pencil pushers to “improve this industry” lol what a bunch of crap. I dont want to do more than 2500 miles a week anyway, but i missed the part in the article where the drivers are going to be composated for the loss revenue. I would not be against this if i got the impression that the working man is not getting screwed. But we are so maybe we all should get paid by the hour even when we sleep.

  • Dan England’s nose and face is so far shoved up Congress’s rear end, is a wonder how his trucks are not painted poop brown…Keep kissing that butt Dan, sure your pockets are getting mighty deep with your pushing of EOBRS.
    National trucker strike is WAY OVERDUE. Canadian drivers got it done, french drivers got it done. It is a crying shame american drivers can’t pull together to show this government to back off with all their regulations and stupid mandates.

  • Just another example of how our fine government is in a power grab. Reaching their hands into places it doesn’t belong. It time we as a people cut off this dictating hand of the government. This power grab has got to stop!!

  • I do have some issues with the electric log but then there are some things I like about it also and that’s the fact that it does level the playing field so drivers who are actually concerned about safety and won’t drive 18 hours a day are not getting fired because of the fact that there are drivers who will run hot logs so it ends up the guys who break the law keep there jobs and the guys that don’t loose them or are forced to run hot logs. Don’t get me wrong I like being able to take a nap in the middle of the day with out it being subtracted from my driving time just like the next guy but over all I think it’s a small price to pay in comparison. With an electric log there’s no more arguing about time off for your 34 hour restart either which would be nice because the electric log does not lie. Of course I’m not an owner operator so I don’t know how it will effect the money aspects of a driver in that particular circumstance.. Another thing if you one that says no to electric logs then you should also be asking that they take the 14 hour rule off the books also..

  • Butch is exactly right. None of you will stick
    Together so you are viewed as weak. Now you
    Will get what you deserve. Nothing is ever
    Given, you have to fight for it and never budge.

  • Butch is right on the money they will have to raise wages as the outlaw drivers and lousey companys will have no choice but to leave the industry about time the feds regulated and show the drivers some respect. About time the drivers stood up for themselves and show some backbone istesd of kissing so much butt and drving 24 /7 putting theirs and others lives on the line. You will get paid hourly or more per mile just look at how much profits the Big Trucking Companies are raking in at your expense!

  • What a bunch of BS! EOBR is just that BS! Not only will u not be paid for detention but ur privacy is in the risk! Also, do u know one cumputer without a bugs or glitches; do you know any cell phones, satellite devices that have signal everywhere you go? I don’t, this is just more expenses and headache!

  • Well at least I can finally look forward to Retirement. There well never be a on board watch dog in my cab. After 47 years I well also scrap my trucks.

  • All I read is the drivers needing to do more for the companies. They put everything back on me the driver the reason they have unsafe roads is because they push delivery times before rest. In the end they will have so many rules nobody will want to drive good luck finding more help big CEOS. I see all these ads asking for drivers come drive for us but why because they keep firing them over dumb rules again big bother and dumb CEOS. rules making it harder and harder for everybody. FIST

  • The truth about the Electronic logs is ” you can not make any money as a driver and you are exhausted when you work off of it”

    There is nothing I see that this electronic system will do but run off operators like me to exchange out with third country nationals.

    I will never drive or be forced to drive with an electronic log again. Its’ your fault ATA bunch of non-driving sit behind the desk wan-be no-ones.

    Then you talk about safety. What a bunch of quacks you ATA people are. Now go and get your palms greased with the money you sold the industry out for.

    I say screw all this and STRIKE

  • EBOR’s,,,,,well guys we have to stand against something. We should have done alot of things over the years but we haven’t. I don’t think EBOR’s are going to do anything for highway safety,but really there does need to be something done. Alot of the drivers out here today have been miss trained by alot of different companies on safety. Can’t blame just one company. Most of the problem with drivers today is that they have takin a driving job because they got laid off from their factory,construction job or whatever and they cant drive their car much less an 18 wheeler. Now there are some of us,like myself,who have been drivin for 20 years who are proud of what they do,but I’m guessing about 40% or more of the drivers out here have less than 6 months experience and have been miss trained or dont care about the job but only for the dollar.Which in turns gives us problems all the way around. I blame us and the government for all this crap that we are goin thru,us cause we haven’t stood up for our rights and the government for taking advantage of us.

  • This is a job that should be like any other job. What gives the government the right to say when an American can not work and when he or she has to go to sleep. This is mere dictatorship. There are many Americans working two and three jobs and only getting 4 hours of sleep. The ATA needs to focus more on demanding, demanding, demanding and 100 plus percent standing up for the Truckers on todays highways. If you get tired, pull over and go to sleep. If you fall asleep at the wheel, you are an adult, face the music for your actions like the next person.

  • jason kane, so you’ve just admitted you are cooking your comic books. You see, this is part of the problem. Getting hung-up on the shipping docks is not the problem. The problem is people being too damned tired to drive, and what do they do? They drive anyway. The next time you get that kind of treatment, call every driver you know and tell them to refuse to go to that load location. I was just talking to a driver yesterday who went a round-trip 800 miles in one day and was ready to reload, at his original load location for the next day. I’m sorry, I’m all for the EOBR’s. Then let’s talk about the yahoos coming up from across the border…they especially should be required to have EOBR’s. They don’t get to come into this country and break our laws without the US having some way of monitoring them. It’s funny, you talk to the Texas DPS officers and they tell you ‘most of the drivers they drag out of the medians can’t speak English’. Tell you anything??? Bring on the EOBR’s. Your kids and grand kids will love you for it.

  • Well, won’t it be interesting to see where the highway rates go once the EOBR’s cut down the ridiculous number of hours drivers are being forced to do? And how many drivers are going to stick around when they can REALLY only do the 11/10? Someone’s going to be payin’ and once they do, someone is not going to be happy.

  • i live in arkansas lets fire mark pryor get him out of office hes been there to long e logs is a joke so is the ata ooida is the only good ones vote them out let them find a new job we do not wont them any more you can tell new driver from older driver they pump crap in there heads in driving schools

  • I have only been driving for a couple of years, I learned that I have a great respect for the truck driver and I know I have slot to learn,as far as the Elog I have to agree it will only put alot more drivers on the road more traffic means more accidents cell phone use, you wouldn’t believe what we the driver sees I would say that 7 out of 10 four wbeelers that go by are texing or talking on there phone something needs to be done and quick, I. On another matter I hear alot of other drivers talk about the new driver that have a gps have to ask if that stuff was around when you started would you have gotten one?

  • We already have electronic systems on ALL of these trucks that can monitor all of the use categories (but not who is driving) and qualcomm equipment records a vehicle’s location every half hour, regardless of whether the subscribing company wants it! We are already creating a location history trail…. The last fight is just about law enforcement access!
    Because I’m honest,I’m MORE THAN WILLING to continue driving trucks within the realm of electronic monitoring, but as always, I’m going to avoid employment scenarios that don’t properly compensate me for ALL the hours I spend in custody of a truck! In the current environment, EOBR’s represent a WAGE CUT for OTR drivers and do nothing to address non-driving activities and compensation.
    Some companies will win big in recruitment and retention while others may not be able to hire at all! Ripoff Report may already be having an effect on abusive trucking companies!

  • Our government has crossed a line that they will regret soon enough I own my truck and have a co driver hired so I will suffer no effect. But I will be raising my rate per mile to prove a point. DRIVERS we still have control of the industry untill they make trucks drive themselvs lets strike starve them out

  • Outrageous ! EL are just a way for big companies to put the squeeze on smaller ones and drive them out of business . 11 hours is just insane in the first place . If you can not drive a bit more than that then you should not be driving unless on a 8 – 5 job .
    this along with the new ” safety ” crap is all designed for the socialist move . Drive out the small guys and have nothing but the rich guys .
    Just wait till the big guys have to start moving the sand , rock , dirt etc that builds everything we drive and live on . The price would be so high no roads would ever be maintained and construction would dwindle to a trickle .
    the price of goods would skyrocket like Obama’s energy plans for us . Making the middle class broke . All rich and poor . The socialists dream.

  • I started in ’62. Even with the equipment we had then it was less stressful than now, because we had more control on how we ran, and could adjust to conditions these tech gagets don’t even see. The bureaucrats have the 9-5 mentality branded on their butts. The so-called safety advocates don’t have a clue how this business works. The ATA likes it but they represent the LTL carriers, and having worked in both, I know it’s a different world from long haul truckload. Since I am now in flatbed, I don’t have the problems with the idiots on the docks, but there are still delays we have no control over. A huge investment for companies and owners, at a time when the economy is still in the doldrums, is a monumental bad idea. So many companies are hanging on by their fingernails because of the fuel prices. Ours had to invest in APU’s to avoid long term idling. Industry fared much better when the Government stayed out of their way.

  • Read the book “Slave Driver” on Amazon E-BOOKS. It covers the on board recorders and others Government interferance…

  • Ive been driving for 5 years now. Ive run both paper logs and elog. When i was on elog i couldn’t make hardly any money because of the shippers and receivers. Its hard on a driver these days.ive seen a lot of changes sence i was a kid. My father is still a truck driver and i use to help him.

  • The EL is no big deal, other than the initial cost and subsequent maintenance. I ran with Werner OTR for over a year and my productivity was around 2800 miles per week. I am sure it’s less than other OTR drivers are used to, but forcing them to drive by the laws will actually balance the scales for those people that truly run legal anyways. Many people went way over the line on cheating logs and I am happy to see that coming to an end. If you are delayed because a worthless company, like Pepsico in Indiana, boycott them. If trucking companies refused to haul for companies that delay you without reason then they would be forced to fix their problems, and attitudes, or go out of business. The shipping rates will get higher and, it’s very possible, that companies can now charge a reasonable rate, instead of 200 bucks to haul a 44,000 lb. load over 200 miles, waiting 3-5 hours to get loaded, than another 3-5 on the other end. Quit whining and drive.

  • I am not a Truck Driver. Having said that, I am a taxpayer and a driver.
    I see another political rethoric being played. They will enforce the ‘time spent on the road’ ok, good thing. They will track drug usage ok, good thing. What about the timely delivery of goods from point A to point B for time sensitive cargos, and the point A and point B being too far apart to make the schedule with the ‘time spent on the road’ restriction? The result will be more maniacal insane drivers (especially contractors) wielding their 50k pounds around like they are in a formula car. I commute I-10 120 miles a day and I have seen the transformation of the most cautious and courteous driver on the road (the truck driver) to an insane and down right criminal driver (not that automobile drivers are any better). So far this year I have seen and been caught in traffic back-ups caused by 18-wheelers, three of which were UP-SIDE-DOWN!! I think the right direction toward safety would include a mandatory speed governor restriction to 65 mph (a law in many states for any vehicle towing a trailor) as well as a lane restriction. Another step in the right direction would be Trucking Companies using their heads instead of their seating ends to start relay programs with smaller box trucks and drivers that get to live like human beings instead of having enormous trucks traveling half of the Continental US (and now even including Canada and Mexico) while spending all of their profits in fuel inefficient monsters traveling without cargo a large percentage of the times and making their drivers live like animals without allowing them to see home for weeks.
    This mentality will always only attract desperate or transient individuals who drive for all the wrong reasons.

  • I drive for Stevens Transport, have been with them since 2002. When was on paper logs was getting around 2800 to 2900 miles a week. Now having e-logs am getting 3000 to 3200 a week. Also i keep my cruise set at 60 mph, so to get an average mpg of 6.8 to 7.0. Its all about trip planning. So i think that when all is on e-logs roads will be much more safe. And all to just point out have a 66 mph truck. So you dont need to go fast to make money. Just drive smarter.

  • As an old retired driver I see this crap as an end to what freedom the road gave the driver.
    I used to run two log books at all times, planned my day as to where and what I wanted to do with that evening. Sometimes i would drive 800 miles to get to the Friday night seafood buffet for my enjoyment.
    I put in well over 2,000,000 accident free miles, delivered my loads in perfect condition and on time.
    My first priority for driving was to make money for my family and I did what was necessary to do so not turning down 3000 mile loads because I was short on log hours.
    I passed more DOT inspections with flying colors with the extra logs than with the real things and made enough money, having fun doing it to be able to retire at 62.
    I see the modern driver as a robot, controlled by electronic entries, doing what they are told and enjoying it less. Good luck, I wish you well.

  • This law is a way for the large trucking companies to put small ones out of business. It is a dog eat dog world,in a capitalist society,and those major corporations are CAPITALIZING on the heart strings of the peoples that have had a family member die because of a trucker that was over hours. In all reality,that many people don’t die because of truckers,they die because of the circumstances that truckers are put in to make a living. If these shippers would get everything on schedule(or close to) and stop being jerks about knocking on your door to wake you up,instead of saying”Just wait for the green light”,then drivers would not be out here sleepy and driving. Big trucking companies can afford to re-power loads when one of their driver runs out of hours,but small trucking firms can’t do that…….Guess what load doesn’t get delivered,and that company doesn’t get paid,and then the shipper doesn’t want to use them anymore,so they go out of business,because they can’t “Handle” the workload.

  • I tend to agree with Brad on some of these issues. However, I work for a small family owned company and I do see that the electronic log would be a hardship for small companies that do not have the resources to repower loads and leave trailers for drop and hook at shippers. I do not run an electronic log but I’m a courteous driver and I will not drive sleepy! The hours of service were created to protect drivers from being ran into the ground and I fear that EL’s will ultimately benefit the giant motor carriers- not their drivers.

    It would certainly behoove us all to have some pressure put on the shipping & receiving end of things- as this is where a great waste of time and resources occurrs.

  • As an old retired driver I see this crap as an end to what freedom the road gave the driver.
    I used to run two log books at all times, planned my day as to where and what I wanted to do with that evening. Sometimes i would drive 800 miles to get to the Friday night seafood buffet for my enjoyment.
    I put in well over 2,000,000 accident free miles, delivered my loads in perfect condition and on time.
    My first priority for driving was to make money for my family and I did what was necessary to do so not turning down 3000 mile loads because I was short on log hours.
    I passed more DOT inspections with flying colors with the extra logs than with the real things and made enough money, having fun doing it to be able to retire at 62.
    I see the modern driver as a robot, controlled by electronic entries, doing what they are told and enjoying it less. Good luck, I wish you well.

  • It does not matter what kind of rule changes or recording device they choose to enact. The problem comes when the drivers do not use their time wisely. I see that as the problem where fatigue is concerned. You can make a driver take time off the road but you cannot dictate how wisely he/she uses it.

  • It is simple math. The big carriers will not be happy until all the small carriers are out of business. As far as I am concerned the ATA is a “JOKE” always has been, always will be. They are owned by the major carriers and do as the major carriers tell them to do. Fighting for legislation that the major carriers want. In other words the ATA are the “LOBBYIST” for the major carriers. Just look at the proposals they make. Who needs more “DIESEL TAX” ?? The major carriers so they can put small carriers out of business.

  • Huck, must be nice to be able to drive 60 mph, I suspect that you stay in the seat for 10 to 11 hours straight, only stopping to get fuel, food and toilet. I cannot drive like that. I hurt too much from sitting in bucket seats, (which, as far as I am concerned are the worst seats ever invented). Nothing makes sitting easier or more comfortable, I have been trying for five years to invent a comfortable seat.
    Electronic logs have nothing to do with safety. Safe driving is an action, not a log book. The lack of Commercial Driving Standards hurts the industry by having new drivers who do not know how to drive pushing 80,000 down the road like they are in their pick-up truck. Also, not having a national standard and mandate for drivers education for everyone makes for unsafe highways.
    I honestly do not understand how you can run more miles on an e-log than paper. Many drivers I have spoken with about e-logs are losing miles and money because the systems logs automatically and totally screws up the drivers day.
    I think it is time for a class action lawsuit against P.A.T.T., C.R.A.S.H, and Public Criminal to pay for all this so-called safety equipment.

  • The whole idea that anyone can make any real money as an O/O running electronic logs is a JOKE. This whole program is designed to turn trucking into a $500 wk steering wheel holders job all working for the big companies. It’s gonna do to trucking what Walmart did to the general store. PUT US OUT OF BUSINESS!! I spend an average of 3 hrs at a shipper whether it’s being loaded or unloaded. If I am unlucky enough to have a short run 400 miles or so I have spent over 6 hrs of my day sitting in a parking lot waiting for them to drag their butts in and out of my trailer. I cant claim it as rest time so it’s just lost and I’m done for the day. I shoud be allowed some credit for that time. It’s proven time as times are usually stamped on the BOL so I can show it. So now I have to try to find a spot in an overcrowded truckstop or rest area to sit and NOT sleep because IM NOT TIRED! Truckstops fill up by 4-5pm because all the drivers are out of hours but few are actually tired and the ones that are are because they ddint rest as they should have or got caught up in the same kind of trap I have. So I know sit, do paperwork, watch tv, play on the computer, have a meal and toss and turn in my bunk wide awake.. Then I finally sleep…. 2 hrs… and my time is up and I have to get rolling again to make a living!!!!! Now how is that ever gonna be safe????

  • So my question is…………what are they going to do about motor carriers that lease trucks? By law, I have to keep a copy of a drivers logs, and I have to ensure that they are following the law BUT, these guys are not my employees! Therefore, I WILL NOT buy something for a truck that I do NOT OWN! Everyone is right in saying that they are trying to run the O/O’s out of business. It’s assanine and just another way for the government to get ‘people’ under their control. WHEN, WHEN, WHEN is this country going to start standing up for itself and say enough is enough????? We NEED to take the control back. THANKS go out to OOIDA for fighting this fight and keeping us all informed when we need to take action. Let’s back them a little more people!

  • What makes the log book safer the fact that to make money in this field we are in is that we have to drive more hours then the goverment want us to they cant contorl us this way they can contorl us they can shut us down with the eobr and the first time there’s a problem we are at fault not them

  • The whole idea that anyone can make any real money as an O/O running electronic logs is a JOKE. This whole program is designed to turn trucking into a $500 wk steering wheel holders job all working for the big companies. It’s gonna do to trucking what Walmart did to the general store. PUT US OUT OF BUSINESS!! I spend an average of 3 hrs at a shipper whether it’s being loaded or unloaded. If I am unlucky enough to have a short run 400 miles or so I have spent over 6 hrs of my day sitting in a parking lot waiting for them to drag their butts in and out of my trailer. I cant claim it as rest time so it’s just lost and I’m done for the day. I shoud be allowed some credit for that time. It’s proven time as times are usually stamped on the BOL so I can show it. So now I have to try to find a spot in an overcrowded truckstop or rest area to sit and NOT sleep because IM NOT TIRED! Truckstops fill up by 4-5pm because all the drivers are out of hours but few are actually tired and the ones that are are because they ddint rest as they should have or got caught up in the same kind of trap I have. So I know sit, do paperwork, watch tv, play on the computer, have a meal and toss and turn in my bunk wide awake.. Then I finally sleep…. 2 hrs… and my time is up and I have to get rolling again to make a living!!!!! Now how is that ever gonna be safe????

  • I have to say thank god for elogs.i just quit a job because over the last month the first week i drove for them i got 11 hours of sleep in the first WEEK. the second i got 10 hours in a WEEK. the third i got 6 HOURS SLEEP IN A WEEK.I HOPE IT PUTS THE TRASH COMPANIES OUT OF BUSINESS.thats the safety issue no one talks about.They did tell me if i didnt like it i could take a bus home.oh by the way the pay was barely over $500 a week.I have been driving a long time and thought i would NEVER want elogs.NOT ANYMORE. happy trucking

  • I drive for a commercial carrier and they are trying to implement these e-logs, (personally I think is a joke and is going to ruin the industry as far as being able to make money) but these carriers are under the impression that these e-logs are going to improve their safety ratings! Hilarious right!!!! Companies that have bad safety ratings are due to: bad drivers, bad equipment and companies safety dept.’s thinking they know all the DOT rules and regulations and creating safety issues for themselves and misinforming their own drivers that are naive enough to being misguided and misinformed! These EORB’s are not going to improve safety ratings for them! It’s going to reduce income for the drivers, eventually reduce the freight these companies are hauling cause they won’t be able to do it in a timely manner and someone else can! It’s going to run good drivers off because these EOBR’s are a waste of money, causing drivers a reduction in pay and have no way of safety improvement on the interstates or companies ratings! It’s all a big joke and if these companies wanna spend that kind of money then spend it on your drivers and pay them more and invest in something that is going to help your companies!

  • Fellow Truckers, I have a great amount of experience with EOBR’S and have come to respect what they will do for our industry. EOBR’S absolutely will increase driver pay. They are not that expensive to install in the first place, they eliminate Form and Manner log book violations, and best of all, they take the liability off drivers backs and place them on the carrier and ultimately the shippers and receivers. All as it should be. Sometimes change is good, this one happens to be to be very good.

  • “You can leed a horse to water but you can’t make it drink”(true statement). You can tell a driver when to stop but you can’t make him/her sleep.(also very true). EOBR’s will end my profitable 3 truck business unless a split sleeper berth rule is ammended. We also run short 400-500 mile multistop loads as a very responsible and concientious company with a fine CSA score. We spend endless time at the dock, sometimes getting rest. No one can tell a person it’s time to sleep because they’ve worked 14 hours, especially if they’ve slept 3 or 5 hours out of that 14, and can not log it as such.
    Most drivers are supporting families wich are the most important things in there lives. When the computer says it’s time to go, the driver will go regardless of rest time.
    EOBR’s will do nothing to solve the real problems that run deep in this industry. It’s like bringing kerosene to tire fire.

  • 12 years in the industry and three using elect logs…Loved them. Sleep when you can and tell dispatch look at my logs I cannot make that run in that time. No more “HOT” loads. I ended up making more money the first year. Sorry O/Os but the time has come. No more Cowboys driving on three hours sleep and a line on the dash. We have an influx of Latino drivers coming in who will make four loads in 24 hrs at 4 hours driving and 30 mins on duty I am a witness to it daily can’t wait for this company to install Electronic Logs.

  • Fear is great is it not. No matter what bill, rule or regulation you want passed, all you have to do is keep the public so scared, in this case of trucks that governments can’t say no.
    I asume that the ATA in there infinate wisdom said we will all go to e-logs as soon as there are enough truck stops to hold enough trucks that when you get there you can find a spot to park and not have to go to the next one and risk going over your hours.
    They no doubt also stood up for the o/o and said we have to find a way to make them affordable.

  • Thanks, FMCSA….I really needed that additional expense with which I will NOT be reimbursed….

    WE ALREADY RUN STRAIGHT LOGS…
    A TEAM OF LAWYERS IS SCARIER THAN THE FMCSA IF WE ARE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT RUNNING ILLEGAL LOGS…WHICH WILL NEVER HAPPEN…

    I HAVEN’T SEEN ANY PHYSICAL PROOF FROM ANY SIDE THAT THE EOBR’s HAVE REDUCED PERCENTAGES OF SAFETY IN HEAVY TRUCKS ….

    …maybe some group should demand that the FMCSA need’s to spend additional money for you to operate….

    oh, wait, that will mean that the people of this country will have to foot the bill…..

    …maybe the people of this country DEMAND that each employee spend their own money who work at THE FMCSA to go to work everyday….

    …which is very similar to what the FMCSA is forcing us to do…requiring EOBR’s in our O/O’s trucks….

    Thanks….again…a new requirement brought upon by big trucking and their crooked politicians…..big trucking is ridiculously mismanaged….BIG TRUCKING That’s WHY THEY PUT EOBR’s in their trucks years ago….

    …somebody…somewhere is gonna make money on this…It’s NOT GONNA BE THE THE GENERAL TRUCKER or O/O….and I bet their is a politician involved behind the scenes….

    THIS COUNTRY NEEDS A STRIKE…LOCKOUT OF EVERY TRUCKER RIGHT NOW…THIS WEEK(7/2012) A COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF EVERY TRUCK FOR 3 WEEKS OR MORE….THEN LETS DISCUSS THE EOBR’s AND OTHER SILLY FMCSA MANDATES…

    IF FRANCE COULD DO THIS YEARS AGO….AND CHANGES WERE MADE FOR THE BETTER…THE US NEEDS TO DO THIS NOW!!!!!

  • Jully 16 of 1995 I still remember climbing into the truck as soon as I sit on that passenger seat My trainer Looked at me and first thing he said was Son how old are you? I said, 23yrs old Sir. He Said, let me tell you something…this is a dying industry. it is not what it use to be anymore.. get out of this truck and dont waste your time..did I take his advice? NOOOOO. I did not, from A student to a driver then trainer, then owner/operator, and run 17trks and 24 trailer reefers and vans back to 2trks and if this goes through. it is end of the line for me…

  • My husband loses all his time sitting at the docks waiting for unloads, then runs out of time just when he gets out of there. If he’s on his way home only a couple hours away, he now is forced to do a stop/sleep because he lost 5 hours loading….and MISSING a whole day off sometimes…shortening his already short time off. I might be stating this terminology or explainaton incorrectly. But all I know is that he’s a totally honest, person who does it all by the books. He has gotten stuck like this only 20 miles from home—then desperately looks for street parking. Unsafe areas sometimes. OH well…this is what it’s like with eLogs as far as I can interpret.

    Annette

  • The first effect of this law will be newbie drivers trying to beat the clock, speeding through lower speed zones to make up for lost time. While the rest of us start turning down loads and shut down at truck stops much earlier than before since parking space will be even scarcer . we will have to eat in our trucks to avoid delays. The shortage created will be enough that immigrations laws will be amended and foreign labor brought in to do the job no one else wants to do( Oh! Its already that way)

  • The EOBR.s might be a good thing if it was used strictly as a replacement logbook. I was a big one who reluctently switched. I liked it to a point. I got to get my 10 hrs sleep without dispatch bugging me when went into sleeper mode. It also logged me automatically when forgot to change status. The scalemasters don’t like to inspect a truck with electric logs, as of yet. The bad side of the EORB’s is that companies can and will stretch out your 14 hr day and wants one to go until no time left to find a safe haven. The driver is left to travel in violation until they can find a place to park. I have just experienced a company that done just that. I refuse to be a slave to the “Black Box”. I quit them….No time to stop for food, or restroom..and forget showers, they want you moving!!! until either the 11 or 14 runs out..

  • I have been a trucker for 43 years and every year the government comes-up with more rules & regulations in an attempt to make the industry FOOL PROOF…

    Trucking is like any other job, SOME PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE HERE.
    Not everyone should try to be a Brain Surgent or DRIVE A TRUCK.

    The ATA is a corporate whore, whose passions are directed by their quest for power and money. This whole EOBR mandate revolves around money and I suspect a close look at who will profit monetarily would reveal the ATA’s true agenda.

    I would NOT TRUST THE ATA ANY FURTHER THAN I CAN THROW A PETERBILT.

    I feel inproved safety on the highway can be accomplished through a revamping of the training industry. The thought that ‘if you can hold a steering wheel, you can control an 18 wheeler’ needs to be replaced with a true apprenticeship program…!

    F.Y.I. – I run coast to coast and Canada 12 months a year and have never had a wreck or been in the ditch, (but I never went to a driving school, my dad taught me after I rode as passenger for several years).

  • After reading some of the comments by drivers that are actually road warriors, I could not agree more with these people. The first comment by Triplex trucker could not have said it better, the ATA is not looking out for the drivers best interest no matter how they try to write any type of proposed legislation for an already corrupt government. I was always under the impression they out for our best interest and their own survival. Well it appears to be more for their own survival and saving face for the government officials they are in bed with. Secondly, addressing the black box or “RAT BOX” as I like to refer to it as. I hear the same compliant about it and the big companies that run you until you just want to get as close to home and call your family to come pick you and your stuff up, then let company come pick up their truck. Not to mention the late load and so on. This is by no means any way for a professional driver to act, but it is how they make you feel. This “push-hurry up-do your best crap” by dispatchers that have never even seen the inside of a truck let alone drive one. The one lady addresses the issue of her old man being 20 mile from home and running out of hours, I sympathize with them both, I have been there and got wrote up for it. Needless to say, that was the end of my career with one of the big reefer companies. In conclusion, I have been driving since 1985, some 20 something years now and have seen nothing more than more and more government control over an industry that could and possibly will shut this country down. I would like every one that reads this to ponder one thought, IF ALL OF US REAL DRIVERS STOPPED FOR ONE DAY AND REFUSED TO WORK (not talking about union) THIS COUNTRY WOULD COME TO A DEAD STOP. The government is aware of this, if their not than they are more ignorant than I thought. My father (MAY HE REST IN PEACE) always told me that sometimes, “extreme measures call for extreme actions” and if the government can do it than why not us. It is “by the people, for the people” still. RIGHT? And to the gentleman that told his trainee to get out of the truck because it is a dying industry and we are a dying breed. Sir you could not have been more correct on that, let’s both hope they do not push to the point of giving up in something we have believed in for so many years, BECAUSE I AM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For all of you newbies, slow down and DO NOT let your dispatcher push you to the point getting into an accident and killing some family……10-4

  • I get a little tired of hearing how drivers are pushed to the limit on driving. What I hear all the time is that drivers don’t get enough miles. That old song of too many miles is worn-out. Who are these people trying to fool? You can’t earn a good living on 2500 miles a month, let alone running on electronic logs. Everyday I talk to company and owner operators who complain there are not enough miles for them. Electronic logs are cutting into wages and only create havoc of the trucking companies. Anyone who thinks Electronic logs are the way to go must think they are going to win the lottery next week. Too much control over the trucking industry already. Lastly, when is the government going to implement mandatory drug testing for EVERY driver in the US-including grandma? What is fair for truckers should be fair for all.