[GMAN]

Dear OOIDA Member,

Your immediate help is needed!

Although Congress is preparing to recess for the upcoming elections in November, it just goes to show that OOIDA’s work is never done.

Today, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced a bill that would mandate that all truckers must be monitored by Electronic OnBoard Recorders (EOBRs)for hours-of-service enforcement.

As you are aware, OOIDA has long opposed legislative and regulatory efforts to force EOBRs upon professional truck drivers for numerous reasons.

- There is no justification for the financial or personal privacy costs of the government imposing EOBRs on professional truckers
-
- There is NO research that shows EOBRs used for HOS enforcement will actually increase compliance or highway safety

- EOBRs are no better than paper logs for recording time – they only track when the wheels are rolling and depend on drivers to press buttons to record non-driving on-duty time.

While we believe Senator Alexander had noble intentions, he has bought into the myths about EOBRs that special interests groups are spreading. Big trucking corporations want them mandated to control drivers and squeeze more “productivity” out of them. Diesel cops want them to ease their means of levying fines and putting truckers out-of-service. Trial lawyers want them to build cases against truckers, innocent or not.

Please call Senator Alexander’s office and voice your concerns about his bill. TELL SENATOR ALEXANDER TO SAY NO TO FORCING TRUCKERS TO BE MONITORED BY EOBRS!

Senator Alexander’s office number in Washington DC is (202) 224-4944.

You are also welcome to call OOIDA at (800) 444-5791 with any questions.



THANK YOU!

[Jackrabbit379]

We have OnBoard Computers in our trucks. They're ok. We get our pay, and everything off of them.
Drivers can't afford that stuff. They don't have the time, and worry..

[Rev.]

Originally Posted by GMAN

- There is no justification for the financial or personal privacy costs of the government imposing EOBRs on professional truckers

False.

-
- There is NO research that shows EOBRs used for HOS enforcement will actually increase compliance or highway safety

So then they won't hurt anything either.

- EOBRs are no better than paper logs for recording time – they only track when the wheels are rolling and depend on drivers to press buttons to record non-driving on-duty time.

Paper logs record when the wheels are moving? Neat!

I see OOIDA is still trying to keep rates low.

[RostyC]

Originally Posted by Rev.

False.

Can you prove that it's true?

So then they won't hurt anything either.

So then we've gained nothing. Which brings us back to "Why do it" if there's no gain. Of course the manufacturers of EOBR's will gain substantially from motor carriers.
Are you in favor of government agencies telling you to spend your money on their idea's that hold no water?

Paper logs record when the wheels are moving? Neat!

Yes they do.

I see OOIDA is still trying to keep rates low.

Explain how they keep rates low. I don't understand this statement.

[Malaki86]

As a 10-year company driver, I have no problem whatsoever with companies putting them into the trucks. In fact, I call our log department once in awhile and ask when we'll get them. Luckily, though, Celadon doesn't try to get you to run illegal whatsoever. BUT, I've driven for my share of companies that had no regards whatsoever to the hours of service, how many miles you put in a day, etc. They simply pushed you until you dropped. In fact, those companies even "suggested" to me to carry multiple log books. THOSE are the companies that need them. Plain and simple. Not every company should be forced to install them, whether they have 1 truck or 10,000 trucks. If a driver or company has been caught cooking the books on more than, say, 2 occasions, it should be mandated then. But not until.

[chris1]

Explain how they keep rates low. I don't understand this statement.[/QUOTE]

The hype is that with everyone running "legal" the rates will go up. Just like they went up from the new HOS, just like when all the cheap carriers go out of business,just like anything that is going to make trucking easy street.

[RostyC]

Originally Posted by RostyC

Explain how they keep rates low. I don't understand this statement.

Originally Posted by Chris1

The hype is that with everyone running "legal" the rates will go up. Just like they went up from the new HOS, just like when all the cheap carriers go out of business,just like anything that is going to make trucking easy street.

That I understand. I was more thrown off by the word "still" in that statement.

Originally Posted by Rev

I see OOIDA is still trying to keep rates low.

I'm asking for him to show a pattern.

[jagerbomber3.0]

I am surprised at the ever growing number of drivers that seem to be just fine with and even inviting to the idea of government crawling even further up into your truck and career all for the sake of someone else making money yet again. When will everyone realize that stuff like this is nothing but a money train for someone on down the line. These things are always masked by campaigns of public safety or for the good of the kids or whatever cause makes the public comfortable with having yet another thing forced down the countries throat when all it boils down to is money in the end. Anyone that truly believes that this is about a true concern for public safety and not about money and control then i just dont know how to relate to you.

[Rev.]

Originally Posted by RostyC

Can you prove that it's true?

Sure can!

So then we've gained nothing. Which brings us back to "Why do it" if there's no gain. Of course the manufacturers of EOBR's will gain substantially from motor carriers.
Are you in favor of government agencies telling you to spend your money on their idea's that hold no water?

That's assuming the statement by OOIDA is in fact true. I don't buy their claim that EOBR's will not increase compliance. Furthermore, they have no evidence to support that claim.

Yes they do.

Please explain in detail how a paper log automatically records every time the wheels are moving without the ability to falsify or alter said recording.

Explain how they keep rates low. I don't understand this statement.

Well, contrary to chris1's analogy to the change from 10 hours to 11 hours was supposedly going to raise rates (I don't see how it would), if the ability to falisfy logs is removed, then carriers will be more likely to comply with the log rules. If they are complying with the log rules, then they are likely running slower, and therefore hauling less freight. If each carrier hauls less freight, then rates will naturally go up. That's simple supply and demand. The overall supply of carriers will decrease while demand will remain steady. Rates go up. The end.

[RostyC]

Originally Posted by Rev.

Sure can!

Well? Let's see it.

Please explain in detail how a paper log automatically records every time the wheels are moving without the ability to falsify or alter said recording.

A paper log records a drivers driving time, by the driver entering the information. It can be falsified, and upon an inspection the falsification can be spotted, the driver fined, and possibly put oos. You are required to have the last seven days of logs available for inspection.

EOBR's automatically record when the truck is moving, and this would have to match a drivers log book upon inspection, and the driver could be fined, and possibly put oos. Upon inspection is the key word here.
I think anyone willing to falsify a log will be willing to take a risk at a scale that they won't be inspected. Or they can go around the scale, or try to work at night when a lot of them are closed or just checking weight. Remember they record when the truck is moving, not when the driver is actually sleeping/resting. We could possibly have more tired drivers on the road.

Also, who's to say that you won't be able to alter the data on an EOBR in the near future.
I just don't think it's the end all be all you think it is, I guess.

I'm not sure if you avoided my other question or not so I'll ask again.

Originally Posted by RostyC

Are you in favor of government agencies telling you to spend your money on their idea's that hold no water?

Well, contrary to chris1's analogy to the change from 10 hours to 11 hours was supposedly going to raise rates (I don't see how it would), if the ability to falisfy logs is removed, then carriers will be more likely to comply with the log rules. If they are complying with the log rules, then they are likely running slower, and therefore hauling less freight. If each carrier hauls less freight, then rates will naturally go up. That's simple supply and demand. The overall supply of carriers will decrease while demand will remain steady. Rates go up. The end.

You're right, simple supply and demand. However, the bigger companies could add more trucks and aggressively recruit drivers thereby increasing supply, and the rates will reflect the overall supply of trucks. I find it questionable that a lot of big companies are behind this EOBR law. Perhaps they see an advantage to gain market share?

Nothing is ever about safety, it's about money. You just have to look.