KOTV – The News on 6
Oklahoma is expected to get a bigger share of federal money to help truck drivers prevent terrorism.

Oklahoma will get an estimated quarter of a million dollars for funding for the Highway Watch Program. That’s up by about 25% over current funding.

More pork than they know what to do with. The ATA is probably working overtime trying to come up with ways to spend it.

Originally posted 2004-10-31 17:50:00.

NewsChannel 8 – Video Shows Truckers Helping Police Nab Fleeing Suspect
Tulsa – Tulsa police were not able to shut down a high speed chase. But, two truckers stepped in to help and it was all captured on video. The chase actually started in Tulsa and entered Sapulpa. Police were hot on his trail, but it took two 18-wheelers to end it.

You’ve got to see the video that’s with this article. Finally we’re seen as the good guys.

I like not having to write the same things that never change over and over and over and over on my logs. The only thing that was preprinted on a company supplied logbook was the company address. Now, my truck number, trailer number, co-driver name, date, everything is already filled out, last seven days of hours, even my signature, everything. All I have to do is put in the time and place where duty status changes and even that’s quick and easy.

The logbook is only the tip of the iceberg. I never really used the other parts of the program before, but now I’m using almost every feature.

Commercial truck owners pay taxes on the fuel and mileage the trucks run in every state. We have to keep track of every mile in every state and every gallon of fuel purchased and in which state. It’s a major pain in the butt. While I’m driving, I write down or keep track of my odometer reading every time I cross a state border and write down the odometer every time I get fuel. At the end of the day I input that information into DDL, it’s actually pretty quick. As a side note I can keep track of my empty and my loaded miles and get reports on totals and percentages of each and totals in each state. The program will also fill out my IFTA Quarterly tax return after I download the current tax table from the IFTA site.

DDL will also keep track of expenses (reimbursable or not) and revenue. Broken down by date or by trip number. Not only do I get the mileage reports, miles per gallon I can also see how much the trip I just finished made money and how much per actual mile. And the expense records can be exported to a Quicken file (which is also supported by every other money program) so I don’t have to enter anything twice.

The coolest thing I found out recently on my trip to Canada, is not only can you change to Canadian Hours of Service Rules when you cross the border, it will report miles or kilometers, liters or gallons, Canadian or US dollars. When I had to get fuel in Canada, after
inputting the exchange rate I was able to tell exactly how many gallons and how much money I spent on fuel. After all the conversions I found out I spent $2.42 a gallon. Which sounds bad, but it’s cheaper than not getting fuel and being pulled across the border.

Besides a log book and keeping track of mileage, fuel, expenses and revenue, it also keeps track of the number of days we’re away from home so we know how much per diem to file for on our taxes.

Support is incredible on the site and with a user forum (that has an RSS feed to keep up to date on the postings, how cool is that?!!) There’s even a section where people tell of their experiences of showing DOT officers their logbook on the computer. In the regs it says you should have the prior seven days printed and be able to print the current day on demand. Some people I know have gotten away with only showing their computer to a trooper. But, knowing my luck, the one time I need to print seven days plus the current day for Cindy and
myself is going to be the day I get an impatient inspector or I run out of ink in my last cartridge. Usually, in the morning before we start driving, I’ll print yesterday’s log and start today’s and keep the paper copy up to date with a pen. It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s not. We have to keep track of the mileage and input them somewhere anyway. Plus keep track of each other’s mileage and odometer when we change drivers and this way I know we are absolutely legal. And if we get inspected I hand the trooper my logbook which is extremely neat and legible and current. During an inspection I’ve got enough to worry
about without trying to explain how my logs are on the computer and I need to print them out or how they can look at them on the computer.

The company we drive for uses the audit program from the same developer and encourages drivers with a computer to use DDL. Once a week or so, I email the logs back to the office. Quick and easy, one less thing in the mail or worry about mailing by a deadline. And even if they didn’t accept the emailed logs, I could print them and fax them in one step with efax.com, or print them out and mail them the boring old fashioned way.

Bottom line is that if you’re a driver or owner operator with a computer you need to get this program. Check on the website in the forum there’s a section that lists companies that officially approve of DDL for logbooks. Even if you’re company isn’t listed, call them and
show them the benefits. A little explaining could save you tons of paperwork and having to write the same things over and over and over and over.

No surprise here. The new hours are better then the old 10-8. Until they come up with something else, nothing changes.

In a related action, FMCSA said that on Sept. 1 it will publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking information from interested parties regarding the costs and benefits of electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs).

Told you so. It’s just a matter of time.

“The enforcement community and the trucking industry would, virtually overnight, be required to alter policies and procedures and retrain employees, in the face of uncertain standards,” the agency said in its motion for a stay. “In light of recent (albeit preliminary) data suggesting that accident rates have decreased during the first six months in which the existing rule has been in effect, a stay of the mandate will not compromise safety.”

Wait, did they just say? “…accident rates have decreased during the first six months in which the existing rule has been in effect“. Imagine that. Too bad the Group of the Insane isn’t concerned about safety.

FMCSA said a stay of six months “at the very least” would allow FMCSA to make an informed judgment, after receiving more information, as to the length of time that might be required to issue a new or revised rule. The agency said that at the end of the six-month period it would make a motion to the court on how to proceed.

We’re back to the drawing board. This is the same dog and pony show they went through to come up with the rules they have now!

The article never did say whether the court approved the stay or not. They’ve got to. We can’t go back to the old hours after all this, it would be a nightmare for drivers, companies and enforcement.