Profile: sewest
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The current regulations on this issue require a user of electronic logs to carry a paper log as a back-up system.
Thank you for your comment sewest, and welcome to Regulationroom! Improving safety is one of FMCSA’s primary reasons for considering the switch to mandatory EOBR use. It seems from your other comments that you own or operate at least one truck. Do you see some type of mandatory EOBR use improving or harming safety? Any knowledge you have about how these devices would work in the real world would be very helpful for FMCSA.
Thanks for commenting on this issue as well sewest. As the owner of one truck, are there specific aspects of these new costs that concern you more than others?
Tampering has been a big problem in Europe. Is this something that will be checked for at roadside inspections? Do cops know how to do this? What happens if the device fails on its own and it’s not the driver’s fault?
1675 retail cost x 7= $11,725
100 installation x 7= $700
$480 yearly x 7 = $3360
$15,785 total first year cost for a small fleet of 7. (We’re assuming no repairs or anything else going wrong here)
$2255 total first year cost for 1.
My first question is “Who do you think is going to pay for this?” I’m assuming you guys sitting behind desks over there will say “You.” My second question is “Why?”
Why do you think we should have to pay for this? You present this as if this is some kind of miniscule cost for a small carrier. Maybe these big guys you’ve quoted can afford these things and they obviously can considering they’ve installed it on their entire fleet. Have you considered that maybe they’ve done this to simplify some of their bloated systems and utilize the government—by… more »
Let me throw some random numbers at you, too. How does $2255 for the first year seem like a small cost to a guy or gal that is operating on thin margins most of the year, factoring and constantly worrying about maintenance fees and random fees that might be incurred? What about the fact that the fuel costs change faster than the freight pays sometimes? They already pay thousands in multiple forms of taxes.
“Simpler to operate than many mobile phones” is a subjective statement. Many drivers violate their logs, but many of the drivers violate their logs because they can’t count or pass basic math classes either, but apparently the simplicity will make this all better.
As per the “cost savings” it is very badly estimated. $27 and $29 an hour savings is not a very realistic figure and you’ve already mentioned that some drivers are not compensated by the hour or compensated to complete their logs. That’s definitely true in my fleet. $27/29 is probably overestimated by as much as 17-19 dollars an hour in some places. You’re much closer on the RODS forms estimate. Additionally you’re assuming that some of these smaller companies even have a staff that large and are compensated for this type of work.
“This means that more than 3.3 million CMVs Commercial Motor Vehicles (vehicles owned or used by a business) lack the devices.” So, were you planning on investing in Qualcomm stock anytime soon?
These smaller carriers aren’t accountants and many times they are not the best organized people in the world either. They’re living from day to day and paycheck to paycheck. I’m not even talking about our operation; I’m simply speaking for the trucking industry in general.
Do I think EOBRs are a good idea? Sure. Many of the things you report are pretty accurate in my opinion.
Do I think smaller companies should bear the burden of purchasing all of this equipment? No, I don’t. I think the government should assist and create a standard to be reviewed every 5-10 years with changes to equipment as they suggest that it should last about ten years.
This type of thing will be considered an additional start up cost as well, so you probably won’t see as many new people entering the industry or able to enter the industry. Many try to enter through the bigger players in the market like Schneider and pan out and do their own thing, but additional costs like this keep the small guy out of the playing field. I can think of several trucking companies that went out of business imply because they couldn’t afford to renew their tags, but their expected add another expensive item to their trucks.
The Feds could always coordinate and subsidize all new trucks produced in the factories to come installed with EOBRs as well. You just need an industry standard device when it comes to using EOBRs so that there is a consistent standard and training is available across the board. I’m sure Qualcomm will get the contract, so everyone should purchase a lot of Qualcomm stock as soon as it drops a little bit.
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I operate 2 trucks under my own authority and to incur these expenses along with the lack of flexibility in the current HOS would probably force me to discontinue my operation.
With paper we stop and get a new book when these stop working we will be down with no way to work till they get fixed how can we live ?
I have one truck and leased to a company who we have to pay this ?
This will be one more thing that some will try to use driving not safe
Over the Road Trucker are payed by the mile not hr and O/O pill have to pay for this out of pocket it just a lost to us and no i have seen ppl playing with these things when driving have talked to ppl that showed me that you can lie to them and they can show you moveing when you are not these things are a way for the OTR Trucker to go under