Do E-Logs Make You Speed?

          You would have to be a mushroom or completely uninvolved with the trucking industry to not be aware of all the uproar over E-logs.  There have been plenty of arguments against ELD’s: from the intrusive nature, to the ability of the FMSCA to implement the regulations, to whether ELD’s really make us safer. 

          One argument I heard recently was that ELD’s will cause drivers to speed more because there is more pressure to drive X number of miles within a time frame they can no longer manipulate.  This was an interesting idea to me because I drive a truck that is governed at 65 MPH.  There are only four places I can speed:

    1.   Construction zones

    2.   In/around cities

    3.   California, and

    4.   Oregon

     I can honestly say that E-logs haven’t caused me to speed, so I asked a friend who drives a truck that is wide open and just got on E-logs in December.  He said that he got tired of paying speeding tickets years ago - so no, he doesn’t speed - but on E-logs he feels a sense of urgency that he never felt when he was on paper logs.  He said he always feel like he’s “got to go.”  (And he didn’t mean potty!)

     I think it would be interesting to find out if the occurrence of speeding tickets issued to trucks goes up, but I hope no one decides to spend (waste) tax dollars to find out.

     As a Libertarian, I’m generally opposed to most Government regulation.  I’m not personally opposed to E-logs, they helped me a lot when I came to work here while learning new HOS laws, plus they do all the math.

     What say you?  Do you feel a sense of urgency on E-logs that you never felt on paper?  Have you found yourself more likely to speed to make up time lost in backups caused by construction, accidents or rush hour traffic?  Leave a comment and let me know what you think.