Sprints, Cargo's - Did something change overnight

[mcclain]

Ok, I have went out to the Fort Wayne truck plaza here in my home city today.

I had a cargo van driver come up and start asking me questions about who I drive for etc etc. We have all had those conversations.

Out of no where he tells me he is thinking about getting out of his sprinter/cargo van because if he has to log and follow DOT hours of service he might as well be in a straight truck.

I questioned him on that and he said he was told the new rule takes effective 6/1/08.

Now, I know I have been sleeping really well lately - but did I miss something or did this guy hear something different than the rest of us?

 

[terryandrene]

We haven't heard anything about that. Might be his carrier rule for cargo vans, or his GVWR is over 10,000, or he misinterpreted a rule, or his carrier misinterpreted a ruling, or it's his carrier's or his home State regulation, or I am not up to date.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Regardless if it's true or not, he showed the mentality that has caused a lot of the overflow in the van sector. The idea of easy money, etc.

Maybe CTX heard how "easy" that money was, and adjusted their van rates to reflect the supply and demand of ppl wanting the easy road in life. Not saying all van drivers are like that; but you know who you are.

As far as the rumor goes, your company will give you ample warning if it's true.

Actually... since you're your own company, maybe YOU should ask the feds, McClain. Don't risk your company over some hearsay.

 

[dhalltoyo]

Last October I visited a church in Locust Grove, Georgia.

After the services a gentleman introduced himself; he was a D.O.T. officer.

He saw that I was driving a truck that was not over 10,000 lbs GVWR.

We talked about the scale and log issue.

In his opinion, the current system is so overloaded that just monitoring those trucks over the 10,000 GVWR, makes it logistically impossible to add more monitoring to an already strained system.

He indicated that no one would have the time to chase after every cargo van sporting a QC on its roof. He pointed out that Sears for one, and many other companies also use a QC unit to monitor their fleets. One passes the scales at night...who is going to run out, jump in a car and chase them down...only to discover...its the Maytag repairman.

Additionally, what about all the 6 wheelers under 10,000 lbs GVWR that have the QC inside the cargo box? he said, "We hardly have the time to even give them a second look...it might just be the Krispy Kreme guy."

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Last October I visited a church in Locust Grove, Georgia.

After the services a gentleman introduced himself; he was a D.O.T. officer.

He saw that I was driving a truck that was not over 10,000 lbs GVWR.

We talked about the scale and log issue.

In his opinion, the current system is so overloaded that just monitoring those trucks over the 10,000 GVWR, makes it logistically impossible to add more monitoring to an already strained system.

He indicated that no one would have the time to chase after every cargo van sporting a QC on its roof. He pointed out that Sears for one, and many other companies also use a QC unit to monitor their fleets. One passes the scales at night...who is going to run out, jump in a car and chase them down...only to discover...its the Maytag repairman.

Additionally, what about all the 6 wheelers under 10,000 lbs GVWR that have the QC inside the cargo box? he said, "We hardly have the time to even give them a second look...it might just be the Krispy Kreme guy."

That makes so much sense David....too bad the Feds don't work on common sense....
BTW..Leo has always had this fantasy that we vanners are going to scale and log....think he's jealous! *LOL*

 

[dhalltoyo]

OVM,

I promise not to make sense ever again.

Seriously, the DOT officer was one of the nicest folks I ever spent time talking with about the trucking industry.

He will do whatever is mandated, but at the meetings he has attended the general opinion is that trying to monitor those less than 10,001 lbs GVWR would deter from safety checks on big rigs.

Based upon simple physics (weight and motion), if involved in an accident, or disabled, an 80,000 object has a greater potential to cause extensive property damage, highway shutdowns, environmental impact, etc. according to their statistics; therefore, their main focus is on big trucks.

 

[BillChaffey]

At orientation in March the subject came up and we were told the ICC was considering this Rule for 2009.

 

[geo]

only company that i know that makes it's van drivers log is pitt ohio
reason is they have to drive anything that pitt ohio has is the reason the drive gave me , as he was logging and iask why he was logging
was when he got back to richmond va he was going to drive a tractor for a while and they would want to know how much longer he would be able to drive for the day

 

[terryandrene]

The ICC was abolished in the mid-90's; how long ago was that orientation? :-}

 

[Turtle]

LOL I was just thinking the same thing.

 

[CharlesD]

My signs are magnetic. If they start a rule like that, would it be illegal to pull them off before I drive by the coop?

 

[RLENT]

At orientation in March the subject came up and we were told the ICC was considering this Rule for 2009.

Bearcat,

...... ICC ..... hmmm .... yeah. I hope you ain't driving for who I think you are driving for, if they told you that the ICC was considering it ....... scary ....