Upcoming Mandatory Electronic Logging Getting Close

Rainy D, "unnecessarily concerned" is one of the reasons I am glad I found this site. All of you provide a huge wealth of knowledge that I very much appreciate you sharing.

Here's an example I had a load that picked up on Saturday morning at 0800 and delivered Mon at 0800....from SC to PA and was 625 miles away.

Doing this in one drive shift in Kansas with flat roads and no traffic would be easy. But with wash DC and Baltimore and philly traffic, not so.

I picked it up, drove until 1600 and took my 10 hour break. I didn't drive 10 hours...I shut down early enough to find parking. I then got back my hours back at 0200, finished the load by Sun morning and headed for home time a day early.

Some drivers might try to run it in one shift risking lack of parking or the customer denying early entrance. Another driver might park and drive it in on Mon making it an easy load.

The thing is...for many loads you have freedom. Freedom to.decide when and where to park, when to shower and eat or if you have time to do laundry. Sometimes you can get a 34 while under a load if you can pick it up early enough.

Rainy D and all others PLEASE speak in simple terms. In my understanding you are limited to "shifts" and must comply to regulatory HOS of "sleep time" vs "awake time" I just don't get how when you are moving from to point A to point B how an elog will allow you to "customize" your best hours, as in fully awake, vs the mandated schedule, "sleep/rest time". I have been chastised on this before but honestly, when I am awake I want to run the load and it could very well exceed the DOT regulations, whereas, if I am tired I need to sleep. Obviously the load will arrive on time but the freedom to choose "awake time" and "sleep time" on an elog schedule appears to be unfairly regulated by sheer crunched numbers. Again, in simple terms, explain again how I can regulate to my bodies whims so that I will be a safe and alert driver with elogs. THINK OF ME AS A CHILD, EXPLAIN IN SIMPLE TERMS PLEASE. Ya'all great peeps!

TBH, no matter whether elogs or paper, you are a slave to the freight. Your appointment times, your miles you need to get done, all of that will determine your schedule. You can set yourself up to generally run when you like. But that isn't always possible. I prefer to start driving between 4-6 am and finish up by mid afternoon. I can usually keep that schedule. However, sometimes I have to adjust because of what is going on.

There is an old saying in trucking: 'Drive when you must, sleep when you can.' You just have to do what needs done. You sleep when you get the time to, you drive when freight demands it. It is the nature of the beast. Always has been. Always will be.

It is also about working with your Dispatcher. They will learn when you like to run and will do your best to keep loads that fit your driving style.

Many of us, if not most of us, use elogs. It is the name of the game nowadays. No point in fretting over the no more. You just adapt, adjust, and overcome. There really isn't any other choice.

HOS rules are written in "stone."

Regardless of running paper or elogs , you are confined to those rules, period. You might be wide awake at the beginning of your day, but 5 6, 7 or 10 hours later, you might be glad your 11, or 14 is almost over. There are no set shifts one must drive or sleep. That is completely up to the driver, and how he/she manages the clock. The elogs are nothing more than logbooks in your computer. They have no magical power saying when you can and can't drive. Same with paper logs. They are just logs, helping you manage your hours. Stating that you have no issue with breaking the law by violating your HOS, does not bode well, for you, or your future employer.

Right now, just focus on learning the things necessary to operate a truck safely. There is plenty of time to learn the beast that is clock management.

Then to Patrick C, do any of you have tips on how to do the much heard of "sleep on demand?" Your brain subserviently knows the time of day or night. As I have read, you CAN train yourself to sleep when YOU HAVE THE TIME. Um, that being said, a timeframe for such an ability would be very helpful.

Wait a sec, I am non CDL as in the weight requirement of my truck doesn't apply, eloging wont even be a concern to me I assume.

I wish I could give pointers. My training came by way of the military. I spent over 17 years in. From field exercises to CQ, Staff Duty, to when I was on flight status in a med evac unit. I have learned over the years to do what needs done when it needs done. Sleep when I have the time later. I got used to switching my schedule up to what the mission demands to staying up for 24+ hours straight when needed. That is one reason I enjoy this lifestyle. It reminds me of what I have known nearly my entire adult life. This way of life IS what is 'normal' for me.

Drive Safe and God Speed

To answer your question about sleep time frame. Everybody requires different amounts. I function well on 4-6 hours of sleep. In a 10 hr break that gives me a lot of leeway. Even when doing an 8 hour split sleeper, I have a few hours to sleep when I am ready.

There is no magical wand. It is a learned skill. To sleep in varying conditions when it is convenient. Whether that is sleeping at unusual hours, to sleeping when the truck is rolling down the road, or even sleeping while the truck is being jarred every which way from being loaded or unloaded.

I have slept standing up, in dry river beds, curled up in between the crew chiefs seats and pilots seats, sitting up propped up by my rucksack.

Just trust me that in the beginning, you will spend the majority of your time exhausted. You will have no problem finding sleep.

I think I am beginning to understand. The HOS is nothing but a recording and as long as I make the load on time I can choose to take a nap if needed? All I have to worry about is that I am only allowed 14 hours a day and can spread my sleep out?