New C-Link Question

[BigRed32771]

If a message/load offer comes in while the truck is moving, does the new C-link system require that the truck be stopped before the message can be seen at all? With my old system I can see if the message is a fleet message which can be ignored for the time being, or an offer which requires dealing with quickly. If you can't see it if the truck is moving, can your co-driver (in a team situation) log in to access the message without starting or continuing a day clock? Is bringing the truck to a complete physical stop the only way to deal with messages? If so, that would also apply to "running lates" and "are you moving?" questions too, wouldn't it?

 

[LDB]

The non-driving member of a team can look at the screen whenever they want. I don't believe that starts their clock. A solo or driving team member can't look at the screen while the truck is in motion. You can press the little button to make it read the message to you but the text to speech is mediocre and in the case of a long message would become tedious to listen to.

This is another reason they need to STOP sending fleet messages every day. They need to bundle them into a packet of several fleet messages and send them at 15:37 every Thursday or some other specific time on a specific day so there isn't confusion as to whether it's beeping for the fleet messages or a load offer and also so the risk of waking people up is reduced to one specific time on one specific day of the week. This is a SAFETY issue the safety department should be looking at carefully.

 

[MYGIA]

The non-driving member of a team can look at the screen whenever they want. I don't believe that starts their clock. A solo or driving team member can't look at the screen while the truck is in motion. You can press the little button to make it read the message to you but the text to speech is mediocre and in the case of a long message would become tedious to listen to.

I asked this question of Scott McCann as it relates to solo contractors with load offers that time out in 10 minutes. There are often situations and circumstances when the truck can not be pulled over and completely stopped ( like when stuck in traffic on the Cross Bronx for 2 hours). My assumption was and still is that it will time out, any opportunity will be lost and it may even be counted as a refusal.

The response to my question was: "we will have to educate dispatch how to better handle this."

Yeh, good luck with that!

 

[1CHINGON]

Since the new CLINK does not work for solo drivers, the only solutions are to stop the vehicle or call in. By calling in you can quickly check option 6 to see if you have a load. If you are running late, trust me, they will call you. There is a third option for you, codriver.

 

[LDB]

In that situation, push the button to have it read the message to you over the speaker. If it's a load offer hit the mute button and call the VRU option 6. It's not a perfect system. I understand why they have it so it won't work in motion. That makes it impossible to read local directions too though and that's another problem area. The joys of modern technology, a two edged sword.

 

[TeamCaffee]

The local directions in time will be a thing of the past. They are not getting local directions on new customers. The directions are being sent directly to the GPS in the QualComm.

We have been discussing a option on the VRU where you only have a minimal amount of numbers to enter into your phone to get any load offers waiting the truck. It is not always possible to pull over, and it is often not possible to enter a numbers after numbers into the phone to have the load offer read to you.

 

[LDB]

Well, the phone system is still in that antique, last century mode with departure calls etc. and this is another area where it's at least a generation behind. When we phone in on our primary phone that's the same phone number FX uses to call us the system should recognize it and go immediately to "to speak to a dispatch representative, press 1". We should only have to enter our secret handshake if we are calling from a different phone. Another area where others are far ahead of us and we are a generation (or more) behind.

 

[teamjdw]

Solo's can't use the clink while driving,for saftey reasons.But it's ok to use a hand held device while a solo is driving?Wouldn't a micro chip implanted behind your ear be a better ,safer choice?

 

[BigRed32771]

The non-driving member of a team can look at the screen whenever they want. I don't believe that starts their clock. A solo or driving team member can't look at the screen while the truck is in motion. You can press the little button to make it read the message to you but the text to speech is mediocre and in the case of a long message would become tedious to listen to.

This is another reason they need to STOP sending fleet messages every day. They need to bundle them into a packet of several fleet messages and send them at 15:37 every Thursday or some other specific time on a specific day so there isn't confusion as to whether it's beeping for the fleet messages or a load offer and also so the risk of waking people up is reduced to one specific time on one specific day of the week. This is a SAFETY issue the safety department should be looking at carefully.

How does the CLink know which team member is attempting to look at the screen?

I'm waiting for the first time the system tries to send me a "running late" msg.

I agree with the fleet messages comment, btw. How about just adding them to the weekly email bulletin and be done with it. We always wind up playing the "Oh, who screwed up and did that today?" game when the fleet msg comes though.

For the record, we don't have the new system installed yet, and I'm in no rush to do so.

 

[LDB]

You have to log on with the new clink. The non-driving person would log on and then it would display the screen.

 

[BigRed32771]

I must be getting dense in my old age, because I can't see how that wouldn't start or continue a day clock for the non-driving team member. Log on in what status? Off-duty? Couldn't be. Sleeper? Already there I would think, and logging on would imply no longer in the sleeper. On Duty Driving? Nope, already got that one covered by the driving team member. On Duty Not Driving? Must be, but there's that pesky day clock thing again. I thought that one of the big features of this system was that it didn't rely on the 15 minute blocks of time that the paper logs use, which created that little 7.5 minute window for slipping between statuses without having to log it (technically speaking of course).

Oh, well, I'm sure when I get around to getting it installed all of this will become clear to me. Or not.

 

[TeamCaffee]

The EOBR logs to the second.

The other team member can log on to the QC without changing their duty status.

When you get the QualComm learn how to make the system work for you.

 

[golftruck]

In team operations, the co-driver can look at any screen they wish without doing anything special. Ie, load offers anything in hours of service(with the exception of the active driver's screens). Sending messages,etc. Using the C-Link has nothing to do with hours of service or starting your clock. Things are quite different for solos while driving.

 

[layoutshooter]

We are in no hurry to get the new system installed. We see little to no benefit to our operation, only added costs. We will surely have to have it in sooner or later, later is better. This system already costs too much, to pay more for no real gain is a pain. HEY, that rhymes!

 

[MYGIA]

We are in no hurry to get the new system installed. We see little to no benefit to our operation, only added costs. We will surely have to have it in sooner or later, later is better. This system already costs too much, to pay more for no real gain is a pain. HEY, that rhymes!

DITO. Last information I heard on this from Jason was that they "hoped" to have the swithch over completed by June 2011. As far as I am concerned I can wait to then.

 

[BigRed32771]

DITO. Last information I heard on this from Jason was that they "hoped" to have the swithch over completed by June 2011. As far as I am concerned I can wait to then.

We're kinda hoping to be the very last one changed over. Like LOS said, more costs for little gain.

 

[gadfly65]

The non-driving member of a team can look at the screen whenever they want. I don't believe that starts their clock. A solo or driving team member can't look at the screen while the truck is in motion. You can press the little button to make it read the message to you but the text to speech is mediocre and in the case of a long message would become tedious to listen to.

As a solo, I find this system cumbersome and very unfriendly. I made the mistake of hitting the text-to-speech button on one of the longest messages. I could not stop it and it took almost all of the trip to finish. I love the way it reads the money message, a letter at a time. Reminds me of my wife spelling a discussion to me so our kids would not understand...wrong, the did, I didn't. Also, it's so heavy, that if it falls while I'm driving my BR unit, it's like a load shift!!

 

[PlusServices]

The only way your co-driver can look at the c-link while your driving is if he is on duty not driving. If he is showing in the sleeper you will have to stop the truck. Sorry

 

[Shadowpanda]

Seeing you all talk about what the co driver can see makes me wonder if you all are using the same (new) c-link system we are using. Theres no having to log in, he sits (or even kneels in the middle) goes to messages, selects message and reads it.
The screen is already available for ME to read if I'm feeling lucky. Why in the world would my co driver log in just to see a message?
That would log ME out while Im driving....Im not even sure it will let you do that, and it would certainly cause logging issues.
I dont know where the previous poster got their information, but it's flat wrong.

 

[teamjdw]

The only way your co-driver can look at the c-link while your driving is if he is on duty not driving. If he is showing in the sleeper you will have to stop the truck. Sorry

Not true,Your co driver can look at,and respond to the c-link while you are driving.