Pioneering carrier ends paper trail; but enforcement still catching up
SURREY, B.C. -- Popular opinion is that electronic on-board recorders for the trucking industry are coming. But one B.C.-based carrier isn't waiting for a government mandate in the U.S. or Canada. Coastal Pacific Xpress (CPX) in B.C. turned its back on the old paper system and went wireless last year. "We did two things at that time," explains Jim Mickey, manager and co-owner of CPX. "Once we turned on the e-logs in Canada, we went hard and fast with the new federal hours of service regulations." The task of equipping all the U.S.-bound trucks with electronic logs was a little more onerous and has taken a bit more time; but as of this month, the entire fleet -- more than 300 trucks -- will be running with electronic logbooks. An electronic on-board recorder (EOBR) -- or electronic logbook (e-log) -- is tied into the GPS and the engine's ECM. The truck's positioning, speed, distance traveled and odometer, are automatically downloaded. The same display screen mounted in the cab and used to transmit satellite messages to drivers, doubles as the e-log. "The entire issue of hours of service and paper logs, is a system that has bothered us for a long time," said Mickey. "You have to assume everyone is not honest and use outside auditors to ensure everyone is in compliance; we find it to be a bit of a farce and it's an industry-wide problem." The new technology also allowed the company to open up the purse strings and make it easier to get drivers home more. "We decided, about two and a half years ago, we would over a period of time reduce the miles driven in a month and increase pay to accommodate a better work-life balance," says Mickey. "With electronic logs there's an absolute line where you're either in compliance or not; where as with paper logs there's interpretation as to what's in compliance." As a result, CPX drivers and owner-operators have seen their take-home pay increase by 45 percent in the last two years, and their time on the road decrease. Workday targets for drivers went from 13 to 14 hour days to 10 to 12 hour days, with a target of 500 miles instead of 650 miles. There are growing concerns, however, that continued adoption of the technology is causing a log jam -- so to speak -- for the enforcement community. The B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) recently held a presentation for the Traffic Safety Committee of the B.C. Chiefs of Police Association regarding the use of EOBRs. "The problem for our members is technology has been getting ahead of enforcement," said Louise Yako, vice-president of policy with BCTA. Members contacted the BCTA with concerns that officers were unaware of how the technology worked and were asking drivers to transcribe the electronic data. "The RCMP weren't accepting the integrity of the electronic log and wanted it written out, which is the law, so drivers needed to keep an empty log book and transpose the e-log onto paper," said Kevin Johnson. Johnson has met with RCMP officers privately to demonstrate the transparency of the EOBR system; and admits things are getting better on the road. "Once they take time to look at the system and understand -- and I'll make myself available as a resource -- this will go away and make their job on the road easier," he explained. While e-logs have yet to become common practice -- similar to how e-mail has replaced regular mail -- Mickey is satisfied with how the technology has penetrated the market so far. And he considers CPX at the forefront. "I knew we would be early and I'm okay with it," he says. "We're feeling good about our operation and our compliance."