My Qualcomm Sucks.

So I work for May trucking, and we have these qualcomms from like... 2007, but they feel like a combination of windows 95 + early touch screen tech. It's also huge and instead of being mounted to the dash, is free roaming, so it's very annoying. Some trucks have this other device installed, not sure the name, that they went to instead of an updated qualcomm. Word is that may is working with the company making the device so they have money in it. The bad news is that when the testing is done, it will have this separate device that you have to wave in front of PRE/POST trip spots. For example, if I'm near the engine, I have to be there 3 minutes (no less), or near the 5th wheel et cetera. Everything will total about 15 minutes combined. I don't think that feature is in right now since I bet the drivers would be talking smack about it.

Any way, the whole idea is crazy because it's nanny-state type technology and an insult to the trucker. You're essentially distrusted and they have to micro manage your pre/post trip. I wonder how many experienced and new truck drivers may will lose if it gets implemented, because the truth is that you can do a thorough lookover without being out there 15 min. (more like 7-8) And the whole thing is exaggerated any way, because its the major parts like oil, tires, fluids, air hoses, and lights, 5th wheel that really need to be looked at daily. I admit I'm not always looking at everything when I'm tired, and neither did my instructor, so it will really be a turnoff if that feature goes with it.

I wish we had new qualcomms. :(

I think like most changes, this is no big deal at all. Fast forward to 2:15 on this video and you'll see how it works.

Oh man. Good drivers hard to find around there?

Good drivers are hard to find everywhere.

One time I was talking with another driver and he told me, "Throughout my childhood my dad always owned about 5 or 6 trucks. He told me not one time in all his years owning those trucks did he have a good driver in every one of them."

My friend who works at the company with about 50-60 trucks - every single week just about they have a rollover, or someone gets hit by a train, or someone gets stuck on the railroad tracks on a restricted route they were specifically told to stay off of, or like yesterday when a driver stayed home as long as possible, tried driving all night to make the delivery, fell asleep at the wheel, and drove into the river.

Now when I say "attitude is everything" and being kind will get you far in this industry, here's why.....

That "river guy" (who was unhurt by the way) - he was quite a ways from home and even though he was going to be fired they were going to put him in a hotel for the night until another driver could pick him up in the morning and bring him home. Now keep in mind he had only been with the company for four months and just drove a $150,000 worth of equipment and 45,000 pounds of dog food into the river. Well the dude went off on my friend and started screaming that the tow truck driver should be allowed to bring him home immediately - about 200 miles. Well my friend told him he's crazy. They're not paying a 200 mile tow bill so he can come home 12 hours earlier. So the guy started cussin' and called my friend a bunch of names, said he ain't stayin in a d*mn hotel room and that his wife will come get him, and hung up on my friend. Ten minutes later he calls back and says, "My wife won't come get me so I'll take the motel room." Well unfortunately he burned that bridge too because the hotel room was cancelled.

Here's another one - same company, last week.....

One of their drivers that has been there for several years regularly picks up and delivers at a place right down the road from his house. Works out great because he gets home a lot and gets good miles. The other day he shows up 10 minutes late for his appointment and finds that the company put another driver in his spot. This dude goes off on the shipping clerk, throws his logbook at the shipping window in front of her, and screams and cusses until security hauls him out of the place. He gets banned for life from the place. He was the one who was late but somehow that didn't factor into his decision making or his behavior. Instead he goes berserk and fortunately he only gets banned from the place. He should have been taken away in cuffs and fired on the spot. Instead, because this stuff happens so often in trucking, my friend is going to make him go through anger management classes and write an apology letter to that company if he wants to keep his job.

THAT is the reality you deal with when trying to manage a company of truck drivers. I mean, the "river dude" just started there, screws up, destroys a bunch of equipment, destroys an entire load of freight, and then screams and cusses out the office personnel after being fired because they won't accommodate him they way he feels he should be accommodated for whatever reason. The other dude, late for his appointment, decides to start screaming, cussin, and throwing things at people because he has to wait for one other truck to be loaded in front of him.

And this company only has 50 trucks and most of them are experienced drivers. Imagine what it's like at companies with thousands of trucks!!

There always has been and always will be a tremendous shortage of "top tier" drivers out there because very few people have the ability, the personality, and the dedication it takes to do this job at a high level. Any knucklehead can drive 2,200 miles a week on a run from Florida to Texas. But the drivers that can turn 2,800+ miles per week safely in all terrain, weather, and road conditions year in and year out while acting like true professionals are very rare indeed.

Anyone who thinks drivers should be trusted and left alone to do their job has never tried managing a group of drivers. There isn't a profession in the world that would tolerate the utter lack of decency and professionalism that so many drivers in this industry display. It's sad and sickening at the same time. That's why I preach attitude and professionalism all the time....because it's sorely lacking.

This came across my Qualcomm this morning, which kind of seems to render this Big Brother gadgetry redundant and a bit of a moot point. FMCSA logbook regulation" title="screenshot of FMCSA logbook regulation"/>

The bad news is that when the testing is done, it will have this separate device that you have to wave in front of PRE/POST trip spots. For example, if I'm near the engine, I have to be there 3 minutes (no less), or near the 5th wheel et cetera. Everything will total about 15 minutes combined. I don't think that feature is in right now since I bet the drivers would be talking smack about it.

Now this is the first I've heard of anything like this. Are you saying you might have to carry a device around that will measure how long you're standing near certain parts of the truck while doing a pre-trip?

The bad news is that when the testing is done, it will have this separate device that you have to wave in front of PRE/POST trip spots. For example, if I'm near the engine, I have to be there 3 minutes (no less), or near the 5th wheel et cetera. Everything will total about 15 minutes combined. I don't think that feature is in right now since I bet the drivers would be talking smack about it.

Now this is the first I've heard of anything like this. Are you saying you might have to carry a device around that will measure how long you're standing near certain parts of the truck while doing a pre-trip?

Exactly. This will turn off drivers from signing up if they find out about it, and the ones that are signed up will be reluctant to stay. I recall it being called zonearc or something but I can't find info on it. I will ask around and update this post in the future.

Now that sounds more like BabySitArc if you ask me....

Exactly. This will turn off drivers from signing up if they find out about it, and the ones that are signed up will be reluctant to stay. I recall it being called zonearc or something but I can't find info on it. I will ask around and update this post in the future.

Yep, zonearc (not sure of the spelling), but I heard some talk about it on the radio today... it appears to be a real thing.

Well, guess we better get to work on finding a way to "fix" that sumb****.

Honestly, if that does become a reality then I believe trucking is gonna see a mass retirement event unfold, which will actually work in the mega companies` favor. New blood, less pay and just hold the wheel. Who knows.

Ha, if my company started doing that I would just skip the pretrip entirely and save myself 15 minutes.

Don't care what safety says or threatens me with. This is not something that will ever take hold with all the backlash it would create.

It's "Zonar" - that is what our company (Knight Transportation) is in the process of changing over to now. I don't know much about it yet, but management seems to be pretty fired up about it. Personally I think anything would be an improvement over the antiquated system we are using now. Even Western Express' very old system was advanced over the one I'm using in my Knight truck.

Zonar's sales video

Here is the link to their site:

ZONAR EVIR (Electronic Vehicle Inspection Report)

I don`t know how to feel about this. I thought the requirement to send in inspection reports was going away unless a deficiency is found?