The daily hours-of-service (HOS) driver log can be intimidating, time-consuming, and cause many driver and fleet manager headaches; however, proper maintenance of this important document is required under federal law where commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) are concerned.

Carl Nelson, fleet manager for AM-Liner East, Inc., decided that with increasingly tough federal regulations and fines, it was time to change how his company handled this vital business task.

His efforts made fleet history this year when Nelson became the third person to win the NAFA/Bell Canada Larry Goill Memorial Quality Fleet Management Idea Award for the third time.

Nelson received the honor for developing a driver log scoring system that dramatically improved his company’s log reporting process and driver safety while reducing DOT driver log citations.

Reinventing a Way of Thinking

Large truck drivers are well-versed in completing a HOS log. It’s an accepted condition of having a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Unfortunately, according to Nelson, drivers of smaller CMVs are less accepting of this daily task. Typically, this is because they have neither the skills nor the experience to complete these complicated, time-sensitive documents.

This presented a problem for AM-Liner East. All of the company’s crew vehicles are considered CMVs under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations. As such, the vehicles and drivers must comply with the same regulations written for over-the-road truck drivers.

Nelson created a driver log scoring system to ensure that driver logs would not cause issues with the company’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) score.

“I break it down, and teach drivers to look at each section of the log individually, so it’s not as intimidating,” Nelson explained. “If you’ve never filled out a driver log before, you tend to get overwhelmed.”

Using the breakdown from his training techniques, Nelson determined point values for each section of the log. For example, points are assigned if a driver doesn’t sign the log. Once all points for each section are totaled, he is able to identify the problem areas of a particular driver or a specific crew’s logs.

This also allows fleet managers to see a particular area of the log with which many drivers may be having problems. Then, Nelson can zero in on a particular issue and help correct how drivers handle the paperwork.

“I think some of the problems are that drivers just don’t like filling out logs, they don’t like doing paperwork, and they are trying to see how much they can get away with,” Nelson said. “So, totaling up point values gives me a quick overview of who has problems.”

Putting a Process in Place

According to Nelson, having the support of the operations manager and the front office staff adds value to the program.

“They stand behind me and say, ‘Go for it.’ This shows drivers that I’m not just a raving lunatic fleet manager,” Nelson joked. “Support from the front office is imperative to having programs like this work.”

The AM-Liner East fleet of 110 vehicles ranges from compact sedans up to tractor-trailers. Around 90 of these units are CMVs, subject to scrutiny under CSA 2010.

Nelson didn’t change over the entire fleet immediately. He piloted the driver log scoring system for approximately five weeks before implementing it on a wide scale.

“We explained to our drivers what was going to happen. I sent them a notice with the form I would be using, which explained how points would be added up as well as disciplinary action and penalties for non-compliance,” Nelson said.

The program has now been in place for about one year, and Nelson hasn’t had to call a single driver in to complete or correct their logs.

“Drivers didn’t really push back because they understood this needed to be done,” Nelson said. “They knew that I had the support of the company. Plus, pushing back is not an option — what possible reason can a driver give me for not complying with federal law?”