Schneider has announced that they will be moving to electronic logs. And, with Schneider saying goodbye to paper logbooks, one has to wonder if other large trucking companies will follow. Schneider believes that electronic logs will boost the efficiency of their truck drivers and help reduce accidents.

Many believe that an industry wide move to electronic logs is inevitable as signs point to more government regulation of the trucking industry.

But, many truck drivers aren’t jumping for joy at the thought of paperless logs. Drivers like to have flexibility when delivering freight. There are too many unforeseen circumstances that require flexibility in order to be efficient. For example, what if a driver runs out of time and hits traffic 5 miles from delivery? Will he have the ability to make the delivery or will he be required to shut it down?

On the other hand, the electronic logs should allow planners the ability to better plan the loads according to drivers’ available hours. Planners will be able to see each drivers’ available hours in real time.

In fact, some experienced drivers who have used the electronic logs have enjoyed them. They find themselves spending more time driving rather than logging in their logbooks.

In addition to Schneider, Swift has ordered several thousand units for its fleet. And, as you know, Werner has been paperless for over 10 years.

How do you feel about the move to paperless logs?