Let’s talk about ELD (Electronic Logbook)
How this device was introduced and how it can make you more money by creating a trucking shortage and in return causing companies to have to pay you more money. The question you must ask yourself is: Do you show your false hours of operation? Do you go off duty while sitting at a dock waiting to be loaded? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are only hurting yourself. Yes, you can only work and drive of a total of 14 hours but look at it this way if you were to show all your loading, unloading, time spent at a dock while companies decide when to unload you or where and what dock to put you in, you should count all of this as on duty. Why you ask.
1) This could benefit you in creating more of a trucking shortage while in turn companies being forced to pay you better.
2) Allowing you as a driver to not exceed 70 hours per week and having a 36-hour restart to give yourself time to do what you want to do.
3) If you are involved in an accident, remember everything you do is tracked by cameras, when you left the dock or customers house (household moves) when you signed the B.O.L. and so forth believe me there is a record for everything so that is why it is important to protect your lively hood in the trucking industry.
Introduction to the Eld or Paper logs
Let us begin with paper logs which were introduced in 1938 other wise known as comic books because it allowed drivers to falsify how long they been on the road or loading and unloading which in fact is true today for the Mandated ELD except for the 14 hour and 70-hour rule. The US Government wants to get there hands in on everything the truck drivers do such as speed limiters, tracking devices, when you can drive, how fast you can drive. Take California for instant, The state is already pushing for all vehicles to be electric by 2036 entering their state and they already dictate how fast trucks can drive 55 Mph even out in the middle of dessert while cars on the other hand can drive reckless and drive 75mph or plus.
One thing you can do as a driver or a consumer is not to buy any products made in California such as wines, some meats, tortilla chips, breads and fruit bars, some guitars. if is says made in California don’t buy it! These are the same people that should be supporting truckdrivers within their own state.
Remember California is a no truck friendly state and should be treated as such.