We've exhausted the ELD subject...right?

[Electric Chicken]

"Some" heat, well, I deal with that all the time. Gotta have a thick skin to moderate this forum and drive for Swift.

I never expected the level of "heat" I got over that petition. I believe I was called "barely literate" and "ham-handed" in my writing style (by a guy who dangled his participles) among other things. I didn't offer that up to take abuse from strangers, I'm not a politician and I didn't owe them anything. And I still don't.

Arrest that man! He's dangling his participles again! Somebody think of the children!

 

[Getfit Tommy]

"Some" heat, well, I deal with that all the time. Gotta have a thick skin to moderate this forum and drive for Swift.

I never expected the level of "heat" I got over that petition. I believe I was called "barely literate" and "ham-handed" in my writing style....

That's funny. Makes me wanna go check out this politically-incorrect forum, but.. I'm a bit incorrigible at times... .prob wouldn't be in anyone's best interest.

As far as your moderating skils: I personally think you do a bang-up job! BOOYAH!!

 

[Tazz]

This is the complete version. half the letter didn't make it on the post yesterday: I will post a my speed limiter letter also.
Letters were also sent to President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. John Boozman, Sen. Tom Cotton, Congressman French Hill and the House Freedom Caucus.
Electronic Logging Mandate:
Dear Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao,
I would like to request that there be a repeal on the ELD mandate that goes into enforcement December 18, 2017 and complete compliance on December 16, 2019. There are thousands upon thousands of Truck Drivers who have well over 20 years of safe driving experience and pride themselves on their safe driving record. I myself have a 30 out of 32 years safe driving!! By nature the mandate says that we are on the same low safety scale as the entry level drivers with little to no experience at all. This is absolutely unfair and demonstrates a level of prejudicial behavior toward the experienced driver by the agencies pushing this mandate.
Economics:
Big money is being propagated under the disguise of safety. The forced sales of these units will go into the billions, then add the monthly subscription rates and one can see what this is all about. Safety has absolutely nothing to do with it. On the other hand, many independent truckers are considering quitting the industry over this. Losses to the government will include $550 per truck in Heavy Highway Use tax, along with the UCR fees (which accomplish nothing) and fuel taxes. That’s only the beginning. Once again, people will be put out of work, which constitutes a loss of income tax and sales tax revenues. Have we learned nothing from the recession of 2008, in which so many people lost their homes? This mandate is doing much the same thing; only this time it affects the trucking industry as opposed to the mortgage industry. Small business trucking companies will be closing and Owner Operators such as I will be selling their trucks and that is already happening, that is why the market value of a truck has dropped by 30% in the past year and the effects will be just as far-reaching when goods are not being delivered in a timely fashion. ELD's do have a place within the industry, but only if kept voluntary. The large fleet companies that are continually hiring entry level drivers in the never-ending spinning wheel of their driver recruiting practices should in fact be using them to assist in monitoring entry level drivers until they get the experience they need to operate safely.

I urge you Secretary, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Senators and Congressman French Hill to reconsider this mandate to the benefit of all.
Sincerely,
Vance Vergon,
David Morin

There is no exemption to 395 for senior drivers, nor for accident free miles. And those that advocate these exceptions are not seeing the end result of their request. A national data base and bureaucracy to monitor every single drivers record accessible by every LEO that may need to verify their status.

Yeah then they will whine just like they do now how unfair it is their record follows them like with CSA.

 

[Getfit Tommy]

Meanwhile..... the FMCSA is reviewing the 14 hour rule and the 10 hour sleeper berth commitment.... they are testing groups of drivers who will be splitting sleeper berth hours 3/7 8/2 and 5/5... then they will test for overall fatigue at the end of the day

Guaranteed, they will find that the 10 hour rule is DANGEROUS and not being able to split your sleep time was a MISTAKE....

Or, driving for 11 straight is ignorant (minus piddly 1/2 hour mandatory break) ... or in Cali... driving 12 straight... just plain stupid. It's hard on the body and the mind....it's fatigue waiting to happen at any given time depending upon YOUR personal circumstances, Circadian Rhythms ... whatever

Some people just can't be told "You are tired now, go to sleep" or "You are completely fresh (smelling) go drive for 11 hours without stopping"


Wait... I think infants can be told the sleep thingy.....and truckdrivers are a form of infant so.... oops.... sorry... I was thinking outloud

 

[Electric Chicken]

My "trainer" takes an hour nap almost every day. It counts against his 14 but that's a good thing because it makes sure he STILL gets home in a reasonable time to sleep properly.

I'll be damned if I want to be in a day cab for 24 hours solid just because I got tired and pulled over a few times.

14 is really too much.

Work smarter instead of harder. Some of y'all are working for like, 10 dollars an hour and are begging to drop that to 6. It's ludicrous.

 

[Rigjockey]

My "trainer" takes an hour nap almost every day. It counts against his 14 but that's a good thing because it makes sure he STILL gets home in a reasonable time to sleep properly.

I am on the other of the spectrum. I can not sleep during the day and if I do it will mess up my night time rest.
Everyone is different and there is no one size fits all solution. We have been saying that for years.
Now, If you put me running during the night time I may need a hour or two nap time, Others may be just fine.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I am on the other of the spectrum. I can not sleep during the day and if I do it will mess up my night time rest.
Everyone is different and there is no one size fits all solution. We have been saying that for years.
Now, If you put me running during the night time I may need a hour or two nap time, Others may be just fine.

Yeah we both run the night shift. He starts at 9pm and I start at 10pm. I don't usually nap. But I will if I'm tapped out.

 

[Tazz]

On my out day I may grab a nap depending on what I got the night before. I always plan on grabbing a solid 7 (what I average a night) but with the grandkids over, or weather making my pack loose it, wife coming home from work.......I do not always get it. If I feel sluggish I catch a nap after my first store run. No big deal.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I like my sleep. I like to start my day feeling 100%.

14 hours is a long day. 10 off feels inadequate when you're doing more than keeping it between lines. Especially when you have to unpack the truck and commute home for it, then commute back and pack the truck again to start another day.

It's even shorter when your dispatcher wants you to stop in the office for whatever reason, or you gotta write the truck up for something, or you gotta double back because you forgot your packed lunch, etc.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Oh goody a super trucker that runs "hard". Yeah never heard that before.

"We get it done"

"Do what it takes"

"Make **** up to seem impressive"

I turn roughly 2700-3000 a week on my new program including 25-30 stops on average. Do tell how hard you are.

I do every bit of that on an elog, and it would have been done the exact same on paper. I have done similar since entering the industry.

But do regale us with how you can not sleep ten hours. Not real sure where you find the regulation telling you to do that.

By the time you exercise, wash up, deflate the exaggerated egos of the logistical elite, get some shut eye, get up, comb your hair, check to see if the world has entered into the maelstrom yet, take a dump ten hours is up.

No one is sleeping ten hours straight. Well maybe some are. Those 450lb sweat suit crowd probably get tired with all that shifting. I mean keeerist they have to push the D button and everything, but 10 gives you a chance to act human after a 14 hour day.

When you say "stops" is that one trailer each time, or do you take the same trailer to several stores?

I guess what I should be asking is how many drop & hooks do you have to do for those 25-30 stops?

When I ran Costco with P&G product it was always one trailer = two stops ie stores.

 

[Rigjockey]

They did a yuge sleep study before they came out with the new rules after the 8 and 10 and split 8 anyway you like.
It has been studied six ways to Sunday and when you factor in the wind down time and eating and what ever else, Drivers would be lucky to catch 8 hours sleep.

Every one on the days of the split sleep will tell you, You just napped. Tired all day long. Unless you were a super trucker or full of shit.

 

[gearjammer]

remember when it was only 8 hour break?

 

[Rigjockey]

remember when it was only 8 hour break?

That is what i was saying, Remember when that 8 hour break was two 4s or 6 and 2 or, Well, you know you have been there.
It was still not drivers choosing their sleep it was load run times and dispatchers.
Granted loads were not scheduled as tight as they are nowadays with the GPS and Maps.

 

[gearjammer]

the fact that you could stop the clock back then was a godsend if you needed a nap you could take one without screwing up your dayi always hit a wall at daybreak and had to take a nap to feel safe later all you could do was power thru it