Team Caffee, how 'bout a report?

[mcbride]

With paper logs, if I need to orbit a truck stop or move from one nearby truck stop to another to find a parking place, I don't need to worry about a 0.7 mile limit that triggers my 14 hour clock. How convenient is it to park in a dangerous or illegal spot because you can't move a mile or so to find a better one? (or to a nearby Walmart to shop or theater to watch a movie) With paper logs, a five mile, five minute, personal conveyance move would not be a loggable event. That's convenient.

Electronic logs box us in between the 0.7 of a mile and 14 hour clock requirements. That's inconvenient.

The "seven-fourteen box" is more problematic to solo drivers than teams but it also affects teams in a significant way. It interferes with the ability for both team members to complete a 34 hour reset while they are on layover. That is if they want to do something more than sit in the same parking place the whole time.

This is an issue that must only concern a few of us...I would think people would be questioning FedEx's ability to designate on where they can and can not go with their own trucks while not under load or dispatch. I know that we rarely sit at a truck stop and part of the "enjoyment" of not having a load is taking in what the area we are at has to offer. We like museums, parks, casinos etc...we love being tourists!

If we happen to be in an area, say Nashville for example, although not country music lovers at all, we went to the Grand Ole Opry and a couple of other places. Although most places were within walking distance to each other, we still drove the truck about 20 miles around the city of Nashville. Now, with an EOBR in our truck we would have been logged for these activities and one of us would have started their 14 hour clock even though we were using our vehicle for our personal use. We were not loaded, nor were we dispatched for a load.

We know several couples that used to drive for Panther so this very topic came up a couple of years ago. As a result, we have asked at least 10 DOT officials in several different locations about doing this type of "driving" and logging it...and they have all unanimously stated that driving within the same city with this type of mileage requires NO log book notations. One official asked," how would you note it?" "Nashville to Nashville?"

All I can figure is that people who don't think that .7 of a mile for movement is forcing us to stay in one location do not mind sitting in **** hole truck stops for the duration of their wait for a load.

Even Canada has a 45 mile rule with their EOBR's.

[ATeam]

There was a time when FedEx Custom Critical required White Glove HAZMAT drivers to come to company headquarters for HAZMAT training every two years, while the legal requirement was every three years. That changed so the carrier requirement and legal requirement now match.

There was a time when TVAL drivers and trucks had to come to company headquarters to be tested and trained more often than they do now. The company later figured out how to keep the TVAL standards high while reducing the frequency of trips and the time spent when there.

Over the years there have been a number of changes to things like bubble up rules, authorized deadhead rules, etc. In almost every case the changes made things easier on the contractors with no detriment to the company.

This gives me reason to believe that our carrier will eventually get it about the .7 rule and relax the company's personal conveyance requirements to match those of the law.

I can only hope this will happen sooner than later. I see no benefit whatsoever to the company in saddling its drivers with mobility disincentives that have no safety impact, undermine driver freedom and satisfaction on the road, and reduce the legally-available hours drivers would otherwise have to respond to load offers and haul freight.

There may be good reasons for the .7 rule the company is imposing and I am open to hearing them. I am not just saying this. Really, I am all ears.

Can someone explain exactly how and why .7 became the magic number and how it benefits the company, the drivers and the customers we together serve?

EOBRs are sophisticated devices that can be programed to do anything the company wants them to do. Why was .7 programmed in when the personal conveyance logging rules are so different?

[dabluzman1]

Having our 3rd year anniversary of being an FCC Expediter approaching has me mulling over all these thoughts.
Personally, no problem with the change.
Heck some here still dont believe pre trip is a logable event.
So it may help them, that alone is priceless.
Also,It just brings the vans that much closer to logging.

We have just completed our highest 4 week gross in three years. In the slowest quarter, traditionally.
Let the disgruntled continue to leave, more work for me.

As I have stated before, since we are still new to the expediting world, and cant speak of the fotunes made before our time, Linda and I ( to borrow from DaveKc ) are as happy as pigs in poop.
We make good money, see the country and have a better standard of living because of the PAST THREE YEARS of expediting.
The same three years all the doomdayers were saying , "yep, its all over now, what you crazy, expediting is not the way to , get a job a Wendys, this is not the time to get into expediting"

Note to self: ( ask banker if we are doing okay, wanna make sure)

You will get out of this whatever you think it will bring.

Good luck to ya all with your new carrier/ or going indy,
we will adapt and continue to thrive.

Peace

[1CHINGON]

Once upon a time someone invented the wheel. Time passed and many learned to us the wheel. The others got rolled by the wheel!

Since then, many innovations have crossed our paths, and most of us learn to use them, or get rolled by that darn wheel!

EOBRs is just another innovation, and one that I hope gets inplemented yesterday. I have driven twice for companies that used them, and it was just that easy to update your log and roll.

Adaptation, once again, is good for survival. Many will adapt, but some won't, and that means more loads, and more $$$!

What do I care if the company I drive for requires me to do this or that? As long as I'm making $$$ I'll be happy, my family will be happy, and the wheel will keep on rolling!