Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/85392
INTERACT FEEDBACK ON CCJ Digital ast month, the American Trucking Associations, along with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and AAA, released a video urging members of Congress to support an electronic onboard recorder mandate for large trucks to improve driver and carrier compliance with hours-of-service rules. The video features Steve Rush, founder and president of Carbon Express Inc. and a former owner-operator with experience with the weakness of paper logs. "I'm a reformed cheater … I made money doing that," Rush says. "We need these electronic logs for sure." Here are several reader comments to that article … L EOBRs too expensive "As an independent owner-operator and not a fleet or conglomerate that can nego- tiate costs, the cost of two tires is not real- istic. After the purchase cost and installa- tion [of an EOBR], then monitoring fees, it's more like the cost of a transmission. ATA may want this mandate, but inde- pendents don't, and as far as the reformed cheater, I'm sorry he felt he had to cheat to make money. As for myself, I've always gotten great freight rates and never hauled cheap freight, so I don't need to cheat to make up the difference." Let's stick with paper "Paper logs ... about $1.50 x 12 = $18. Don't lump the law-abiding folks who have always complied with the hours of service with those that don't and now claim to be reformed just to sell us expensive equipment that does the same job as a $1.50 paper log." Over the line -peaveypro -Latigo Get connected, stay informed! Join CCJ on any of our social media platforms to network with peers and stay up-to-date on industry news and events! Percent of respondents who say concerns over safety and lack of experience are principal reasons they don't hire entry-level truck drivers. 56% Based on 98 respondents' answers to the May Randall-Reilly MarketPulse survey. ccjdigital.com/polls 8 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JULY 2012 WEBINARS www.ccjwebinars.com Free interactive online seminars for fl eet executives. Visit www.ccjwebinars.com and stay up-to-date on upcoming sessions and view/download archived webinars directly to your computer. "Bill Graves doesn't know what privacy laws are about – he believes drivers are robots and that we should mechani- cally operate trucks at the push of a button, but that's not how it's done on the real highway. We are people – we need to eat, take bathroom breaks, rest and stop. But if EOBRs are placed into every truck, the dispatcher pushes the 'shock the monkey' but- ton to force the truck to move even more. EOBRs are dangers to the driving public. When a driver is tired, he needs to rest, but with an EOBR, that's impossible, as you'll be forced to move and move and move." -CCJ online reader " Video urges Congress to support EOBRs" APP REVIEWS CCJ Digital What it does: Mobile companion to Commercial Carrier Journal magazine and CCJDigital.com What they say: The CCJ Digital app pro- vides fleet executives with news updated daily, as well as a variety of services and links to current CCJ magazine features and archives. The app's design and enhanced content cements CCJDigital.com as the source for industry information, events, breaking news and networking. Access: iPhone, iPad 18Wheelerz What it does: Text-based game app that simulates the problems facing owner- operators and long-haul truck drivers. The task is to drive an 18-wheel tractor-trailer combination from L.A. to New York profit- ably and safely – and on time. What they say: On a good trip, you'll be able to earn more than $1,000, but even the best drivers run into streaks of bad luck and may barely break even or even lose money. Bad weather, road conditions and equip- ment problems can place you behind sched- ule and eat up profits. You may increase profits by skimping on sleep, driving fast or carrying an overweight load, but it increases the risk of an accident and fines. Access: iPhone, iPad