I am not feeling sick, drunk, or on drugs of any kind...and no, this is not a script for a re-make episode of the “The Twilight Zone!” Trucker Edition! When I signed contracts with my new carrier, I was informed that they had Qualcomm for dispatch communications only and that only their company trucks were outfitted with the more advanced system that had E-logs and GPS assistance. This was mainly due to the increased cost of the new system and them really figuring the cost would outweigh the benefit in the eyes of a typical contracted owner-operator. This meant I had to dig out the old logbook ruler from cobwebs and remember how to chart my daily course of duty on paper once again.
Like riding a bike, the ink began to flow as it once did across the sea of gridlines. For most in an over-the-road scenario, as I was when I last used paper logs, it is not that difficult. You may log as many as three or four stops in your average day as an OTR driver. This time around, in a local hauling scenario, the paper logs torment me with the amount of stops I have to conduct daily. We are talking anywhere from ten to fifteen stops per day…hand cramps and eye strain from the microscopic writing anyone? On top of that, remember that there is also up to fifteen equipment exchanges daily to list alongside that other microscopic writing! Of course it has become a little easier with the addition of E-DVIR’s, but the equipment must still be listed on your logbook, as well as each of the six to eight load numbers I haul each day. Not that I am a complainer or anything…but that is a whole lot of writing!
When I was contracted with the previous carrier, E-logs were something that was met with resistance by most in the fleet when they first phased in for owner-operators. After an adjustment period, most drivers saw the ease of use in the local and regional applications we were involved in. Because of the functions that allow it to automatically toggle between lines three and four, essentially the only things you had to do was change lines at the beginning/end of shift and make sure you drop to line one for thirty minutes. It was almost as easy as punching in and out on a time clock! When attending our terminal’s first-quarter safety meeting, the safety manager asked, who might be interested in trying out the advanced system with E-logs and GPS guidance. My hand shot up like a rocket and was the only one that actually shot up at all. You should have been there to see the looks I got, but I’m sure you can easily imagine! As the safety manager shot a puzzled look my way I responded, “I used to use them and miss them. They make local driving so much more enjoyable and lessen the paperwork burden.” He looked back at the rest of the room and asked if there was anyone else. I am guessing that I was the spark that started the blaze, since nearly half the room raised their hands on that try! I think me mentioning the looming mandate may have also caused them to be slightly more proactive too.