You've hit on one of the most discussed topics within the industry, I'm very much against this. I will fight to the very end to stop this or to change some of the regulations on the hours of service that will be implemented with the eobrs. I'm very safety conscious, I'm just against big bro in the cab with me. Like life itself, every day is a different day and every load is a different load. This will cut down on the workload of drivers, basically taking away work from those that want to work harder. The big trucking companies are the ones pushing this claiming that it's for safety. I have a few more thoughts on this but I'll have to address them later. I am on the clock here, fmcsa regulations, got to go truckin.
I was lonelier than Kunta Kinte at a Merle Haggard concert That night I strolled on into Uncle Limpy's Hump Palace lookin' for love. It had been a while. In fact, three hundred and sixty-five had come and went since that midnight run haulin' hog to Shakey Town on I-10. I had picked up this hitchhiker that was sweatin' gallons through a pair of Daisy Duke cut-offs and one of those Fruit Of The Loom tank-tops. Well, that night I lost myself to ruby red lips, milky white skin and baby blue eyes. Name was Russell. Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Well I find it's quite a thrill When she grinds me against her will Yes a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Well, faster than you can say, "shallow grave", this pretty little thing come up to me and starts kneadin' my balls like hard-boiled eggs in a tube sock. Said her name was Bambi and I said, "Well that's a coincidence darlin', 'cause I was just thinkin' about skinnin' you like a deer." Well she smiled, had about as much teeth as a Jack-O-Lantern, and I went on to tell her how I would wear her face like a mask as I do my little kooky dance. And then she told me to shush. I guess she could sense my desperation. 'Course, it's hard to hide a hard-on when you're dressed like Minnie Pearl. Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Well I find it's quite a thrill When she grinds me against her will Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' So, Bambi's goin' on about how she can make all my fantasies come true. So I says, "Even this one I have where Jesus Christ is jackhammering Mickey Mouse in the doo-doo hole with a lawn dart as Garth Brooks gives birth to something resembling a cheddar cheese log with almonds on Santa Claus's tummy-tum?" Well, ten beers, twenty minutes and thirty dollars later I'm parkin' the beef bus in tuna town if you know what I mean. Got to nail her back at her trailer. Heh. That rhymes. I have to admit it was even more of a turn-on when I found out she was doin' me to buy baby formula. Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Well I find it's quite a thrill When she grinds me against her will Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Day or so had passed when I popped the clutch, gave the tranny a spin and slid on into The Stinky Pinky Gulp N' Guzzle Big Rig Snooze-A-Stop. There I was browsin' through the latest issue of "Throb", when I saw Bambi starin' at me from the back of a milk carton. Well, my heart just dropped. So, I decided to do what any good Christian would. You can not imagine how difficult it is to hold a half gallon of moo juice and polish the one-eyed gopher when your doin' seventy-five in an eighteen-wheeler. I never thought missing children could be so sexy. Did I say that out loud? Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin' Well I find it's quite a thrill When she grinds me against her will Yes, a lap dance is so much better when the stripper is cryin'
Supposedly it's about safety and fuel economy. The company can control the driver,which in turn can give you better fuel economy. Insurance companies want it for safety because slower speeds allow better reactions. Your point of being counter productive is a very good point and one that has helped to get split speed limits abolished in many states including our state. I myself drive slower for fuel economy and it's easier on my equipment and tires. But I do try to be accommodating to the traffic around me.
I have a friend whose dad trucks hazardous material to-and-from Houston-area plants. He says he makes good money and he enjoys getting to go home every night.
I came here just to post a Jerry Reid reference but got flanked by Buck over the weekend, it seems. Anyway, pretty interesting thread.
Yeah I know its going to be a huge change. I do think the FMCSA has done their best in trying to carve out a middle ground to protect drivers. Part of the mandate has actually added on some new rules that restrict the ability of companies to monitor drivers that don't currently exist. They've also really lowered the definition of what qualifies as a valid EOBR. Basically a simple smartphone app that records hours without sending those hours to a back office will count. With that said, you're right that the big companies (the JB Hunts of the world) are the ones pushing this. But to their defense, they are so large that they need technology tools to manage deliveries and routes. Personally I'd never recommend ever work for a large company unless they're a new driver who needs some solid training and some experience to start their career. But once you get that, jump ship to a smaller company that will pay better and probably treat you a lot better. I worked with dozens of trucking companies and it became pretty easy to figure out which ones would treat their drivers well and which ones would abandon a driver in the middle of nowhere for 5 days while he or she for their next assignment from their dispatcher. With that said, there are other very real benefits to new devices. Dispatching is so much easier to manage electronically and well run companies are able to deliver new loads to drivers much quicker with an electronic system. Its awesome to see a driver have the ability to just send a request electronically and within seconds get a new set of stops. Plus for LTL carriers, its just so much easier to manage. Also one of the cool things I was working one was integrate cameras on the outside of trucks to protect drivers from false insurance claims. We had so many stories of idiot drivers running into trucks and then blaming the trucking company. It was nice to have cameras that could just record the whole thing and in real time send the video to a back office for review. The insurance dispute went from months to days thanks to that type of stuff. Its a fantastic industry to work in even for someone like me who would never drive a truck in a million years. You really learn to respect the work and how difficult it really is.
geeimsobored, I use an app for my daily logs and I love it,would never willingly go back to paper. Thank you for your contribution to the industry. We need contributions from every aspect of the industry.
Can you please elaborate more on this? The company I work for has gps trackers on the trucks that sends info (exact location and speed) every two minutes the truck is running. Being the fleet manager, I think its a great tool. But on the other hand, the trackers are also installed on our take home company vehicles. They are very lenient with using the take home vehicles for personal use as long as we stay in Texas. Free fuel. But its always in the back of your mind that they know without a doubt where you have been.
The rules that I saw restricted the ability of companies to view and send messages, edit logs and some other elements of interacting with drivers. There was nothing about GPS that I remember. Keep in mind I've been out of the industry for a little while so I only saw draft rules. I have no idea what the final FMCSA mandate included. The mandate was still under public and industry comment and review when I was reviewing it for compliance changes. I doubt that changed though. GPS collection is here to stay. And collecting vehicle bus data isn't changing either. For a fleet manager, I agree its fantastic. For a driver, I can understand the sense of paranoia that comes with that level of tracking.
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The mystique of trucking has always been enhanced by the songs that represent trucking. I love it, I used to truck with a guy that could sing and knew the words to many many truckin songs. Passed the night away by his entertainment. RIP brother
I always thought driving a van carrying cargo from city to city would be kinda fun since I like doing road trips. I don't even know if a job like that exists. Never wanted to be a trucker, though. Sounds like a good time to be a trucker nowadays :
