Do Truck Drivers Still Use Paper Logs?

Published on October 29, 2024, by gavlpublisher

Trucking Industry

For workers on an hourly salary, you can’t get paid unless the boss knows how many hours you’ve put in on the job. The vast majority of hourly workers “punch” a time clock at the start and end of their workday.

However, the 3.5 million truck drivers (according to the U.S. Census Bureau) have two options for clocking their hours. They can use electronic logging devices (ELDs) or paper logs. With the ease of ELDs, do truck drivers still use paper logs?

Logging Mandates

The first hours of service rules were issued to truckers back in 1937. Today, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is in charge of setting those regulations. As part of those regulations, a mandate was established to use an electronic logbook or e-log. These ELDs monitor the following elements:

  • Truck location
  • Active Engine hours
  • Vehicle movement
  • Miles driven

An ELD can be a small GPS-like drive. It can also be used through a certified smartphone app or other wireless devices.

These devices are designed to be a single input. In other words, truck drivers won’t be able to edit the information once it has been inputted. The information is easily transferred to inspectors and other safety officials to verify how long a trucker has been on the road. An inspector could download the ELD at a weight station, and if the driver is found in violation, they could be given a citation.

Every ELD must be registered with the FMCSA and remain mounted in a fixed position visible to the driver. Additionally, drivers must adhere to the following conditions:

  • They need to drive with a user’s manual for the ELD.
  • An instruction sheet describing the ELD’s data transfer mechanisms and how to supply HOS records to an official
  • An instruction sheet describing requirements and procedures for ELD malfunctions.
  • Blank, backup RODS graph-grids for recording the driver’s duty status and other related information for a minimum of eight days.

The ELD Mandate applies to commercial motor vehicle drivers who operate a truck that weighs more than 10,001 pounds or is designed to transport 16 or more passengers not for compensation or nine or more passengers for compensation. It also applies to the transportation of any hazardous material.

The ELD mandate also applies to any self-employed truckers.

Paper Log Exemptions

Although the ELD mandate covers the vast majority of truckers, there are exemptions that allow specific drivers to use a paper log. Here are the exemptions to consider:

  • Eight days/month exemption. This applies to drivers who keep a record of duty status (RODS) for up to eight out of 30 days. In other words, part-time drivers.
  • Drive-away-tow-away operations when the vehicle being driven is the actual commodity.
  • Vehicles with engines manufactured before the year 2000.
  • Short-haul drivers, which are drivers who operate within a 150 air-mile radius from their home terminal.

What happens if the ELD malfunctions?

That is another critical exemption that could apply to all truck drivers who operate with an e-log. If there is a malfunction, the truck driver needs to notify their carrier immediately. They must then fill out the paper logs for the previous seven days they worked.

The following information needs to be included in each log entry:

  • Date
  • Carrier name
  • Truck number
  • Total miles driven
  • Any co-drivers
  • Cargo description
  • Point of origin
  • Destination

How Log Records Impact Accident Claims

The driver’s logs can become crucial evidence in a truck accident claim. If a driver has been repeatedly cited for breaking service hour regulations, it can establish a pattern of negligence. Those logs can also help prove if the driver was fatigued because of the amount of driving without proper rest.

These are all the issues that the Trucking Injury Law Group can help with for filing an accident claim or taking the case to court.