Confessions of a Truck Driver: Ghost Co-Drivers Are Not a New Thing!

I* just can’t believe there is so much fuss about ELDs and manipulating logs these days! 

I’ve been a truck driver for more than 15 years, and let me tell you something: drivers have been manipulating their logs forever.

As many truckers know, HOS rules have always been ignored and bent until the introduction of ELDs. We get paid per mile, and our salary basically depends on the miles we travel. So we have to find ways to drive more, so we can earn more. Back in the day, my friends and I had to work two or even three shifts to earn enough money to support our families.

After reading the news and the comments, I realized many people are missing the point. This is just another example of how the FMSCA rules are too rigid. The whole point of ELDs was to improve safety on the roads. But we are now constantly racing against the clock to reach our destination before our break. The pay per mile means I never know how much I’ll earn, and the past few years have been tough with Covid, inflation, layoffs, etc. We are still in a situation where we just have to drive as much as possible to send the money to our families. 

The main point is that with these rules, we are now more reckless than ever, trying to make it to our destination and deliver our load on time. The DOT always says that these rules are used to stop us from driving when we are tired, but in reality, this is just another way to control us drivers. When I started trucking, I loved the freedom that came with the job, but now I just feel chained up.

What I am saying is that these HOS rules are not realistic, and I have found myself in awkward positions many times trying to make them work. Weather, loading, unloading, and breakdowns all affect my driving time. 

Sometimes, I am well-rested after 6 hours of sleep and ready to go. But with these rules, I can’t because I need to wait for my 10 hours of rest to expire. And sometimes, my hours of rest have expired, but my body is still asleep, so what should I do? And let’s talk about the parking. How do I find a spot with only an hour or two left while everyone is taking their break at the same time? When I had only paper logs, I could have organized my time and breaks however I wanted, and that worked just fine! 

Many of my friends who are in the business and I have relied on ‘ghost’ co-drivers to better organize our time and make more money. And it didn’t matter which provider they used. Samsara, Motive, ELD Mandate, GPS Tab, you name it, they all help us drivers make our deliveries and bend the FMCSA strict and dangerous rules. We do not drive recklessly anymore, we do not race against the clock to make our deliveries on time. Sure, this is not ideal, but until the system changes, it is the best option.

There are so many examples of how these rules have reduced our freedom to make our own decisions.

Another point I wanted to make is the fact that because of these rules, we always had to find ways to make enough money. And when it comes to manipulating logs, everybody talks about small providers and companies, the only providers we can afford. Are they forgetting that the big players, who hold more than 90% of the market, and have even bigger clients, do that too? And honestly, as a non-American, I am already used to being treated differently. 

And people commenting are no different! Have you forgotten how important truckers are? How important we are for the economy and the country?

* the driver didn’t want to be named for fear of retaliation