How Is It Possible?
Topic 3951 | Page 1
I'm certain Walmart drivers must be on electronic logs so there's no reason for him to be up that long. I don't know what he was doing that he wasn't sleeping during his off duty time but I'm sure the details will come out at some point.
Electronic Logs:
Electronic Onboard Recorder
Electronic Logbook
A device which records the amount of time a vehicle has been driven. If the vehicle is not being driven, the operator will manually input whether or not he/she is on duty or not.
Gary, the Qualcomm doesn't so much monitor the driver as it does the truck. It can tell when the truck is running, moving, idling, even speeding. But once you put yourself on off-duty or sleeper berth time it is up to you to get the proper rest you need. That driver was irresponsible, but since Wal-Mart is the ones with the deep pockets they will probably pay the price for his irresponsibility.
Sleeper Berth:
The portion of the tractor behind the seats which acts as the "living space" for the driver. It generally contains a bed (or bunk beds), cabinets, lights, temperature control knobs, and 12 volt plugs for power.
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.
I have worked on a wal mart account before not sleeping in 24 hours may not have been his fault. walmart dispatches drivers to long island all the time there are 2 routes out there where you are forced to take your 10 hour break at wal mart store parking lots out back one is decent and you get a good nights sleep the other is right next to an elevated train and you get no sleep. i have been there before at least 3 times i hated it.
There's also a built-in problem with e-logs that many people don't know about unless they've used them. After driving 11 hours or (working 14 hours) and dealing with all headaches you encounter on the road it takes some time to wind down. Plus, if you have to do laundry, have pets to care for, talk to loved ones, want to eat, shower, etc, your 10 hour break shown on your e-log is really only a couple hours if you're lucky. Many dispatchers/companies don't care and they will push drivers because they "had a 10 hour break" according to their computer. I've worked for a couple companies that were horribly unsafe in this way (both were large companies). I was even fired from a large company because i refused to drive over my 11 hours on the e-log system after the owner's son told me i had to do it. Many driver's are afraid of this happening to them so they will do things they shouldn't. The longer you're a driver the easier it becomes to stand up for yourself and others. Driver's are responsible for their actions behind the wheel but companies also need to take responsibility for what they do too. Luckily, I now work at a great company with awesome dispatchers that listen when drivers say I can't do it.
Dispatcher:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
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That the Wal-Mart driver that hit Tracey Morgan had not slept in more than 24 hours? Do they not have Qualcomm or some other way of monitoring the driver?
Driver awake over 24 hours
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.