Industry News - Australasian Transport News

Electronic diaries the death of drivers: Hannifey

By Brad Gardner | September 28, 2009

“There will no drivers left” if electronic monitoring is introduced, trucking veteran and safety advocate Rod Hannifey warns.

The Australian Trucking Association’s owner-driver representative has lashed out at a proposal to introduce electronic work diaries, fearing it may lead to an unprecedented level of scrutiny which drivers will not be able to cope with.

Electronic monitoring is capable of tracking a vehicle on a second-by-second basis. Because of this, Hannifey says drivers will be penalised regularly for minor issues such as going marginally over the speed limit and breaching a rest requirement by as little as one minute.

“With the inherent ability to monitor this to the second and the way drivers seem to be simply a cash cow on the road…there will be no drivers left,” he says.

“If I am monitored to that level by authorities and then penalised for every minor indiscretion, I will not do this job anymore.”

The TruckRight Industry Vehicle (TIV) driver made the comments in his response to a National Transport Commission (NTC) proposal for an alternative to paper-based reporting.

The Tasmanian Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (DIER) has recommended a national sanctions policy setting out what constitutes a minor breach to ensure drivers are not penalised for trivial mistakes.

Although the NTC has recommended electronic work diaries remain voluntary, Hannifey claims many drivers believe authorities will quickly be attracted by the ability to monitor drivers every second of the day.

Technology providers such as Fleet Effect want electronic diaries mandated and paper diaries scrapped, but Hannifey says this will not recognise the needs of truck drivers.

“It might well be argued it [electronic monitoring] is in the interest of road safety, but I am a human and not a robot and need some flexibility, empathy and understanding of my job and its inherent difficulties,” Hannifey says.

Like other people, Hannifey says he is prone to make mistakes but they should not cost him “my job or my family the food off their table”.

But similar to Fleet Effect, the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) wants electronic diaries linkedto the Intelligent Access Program (IAP).

Unlike the RTA, the ATA wants a scheme whereby companies will be free to use their existing monitoring systems.

The NTC was tasked with looking at electronic work diaries earlier this year and asked to submit a policy proposal to the Australian Transport Council (ATC) based on the feedback it receives to its position paper.

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COMMENTS (16)

Comment by 11404

posted 3 months ago

Strictly by the book generally means that I drive when my body does not want to, and rest when again it does not want to. I have not driven by the book for years,as most people,and still play with it. Safe rates is a great idea,but what is a safe rate? My rate is different to your rate, and I will still want to drive to my body, not some proffesors idea. As for Rod,why would anybody with their head screwed on criticise him. He gives a lot of his time to try to make things better.

Comment by Unknown

posted 3 months ago

Everyone seems to be missing the point with fatigue management and electronic diaries etc, IF WE WERE PAID SUSTAINABLE RATES WE COULD AFFORD TO DO IT STRICTLY BY THE BOOK, but while the biggest offender (LINFOX)is the biggest supporter of safe rates legislation it's never going to improve. And while I still have a soapbox to stand on I'd just like to say to all the critics of Rod Hanifey - at least he is trying to do something constructive, more so than anyone else that i can think of,and if I could get my truck rebuilt I'd try and help Rod out with a truck myself

Comment by 11404

posted 3 months ago

Just a little thing re the electronic log book. These people who say they are having trouble filling out the written log book properly and claim they are hounded by the authorities over it, how on earth will they use the electronic one? If they cannot fill out the written one because,as they say,they are not highly educated then they would not be able to use the electronic one as easy,would they? And dont say it would be simpler...remember how computers were going to make a paperless society...but we have more paperwork than ever...

Comment by Unknown

posted 11 months ago

Unfortunately the headline on the story is not quite right. I have said if electronic diaries are linked to IAP or similar, this will be the problem, not because I want to break the law or to allow others to do so, but because of all the pressures and constraints of a black and white or computer controlled system that governments will see as solving their problem of monitoring those who blatantly break the law by having absolute scrutiny over all truck drivers.

Europe does not have IAP as far as I am aware and whilst we were told it would be optional, it is all ready being pushed to be mandatory and if this goes onto electronic logbooks, is where I have concerns. If those who want it to go this way can do the job better and under those levels of control and the onerous fines that some have received for the dangerous and unsafe practices of simply forgetting a signature or not ticking a box, then imagine the penalties available for being 10 minutes over or doing 10 k over the limit in the first hundred metres of a 60 zone.

We must have rules and penalties for those who do the wrong thing and who risk their own lives and those of others. If we had enough rest areas, and facilities and were given a say and ability to comment on the electronic diaries and any penalties, then we may get a fair system, but we still have different rules, different interpretations and people and owner drivers being driven out of business and turned into criminals by those who do not have to do the job and live the life we do, so they can enjoy the lifestyle and services we provide. Rod Hannifey.

Comment by Steve

posted 11 months ago

Are we talking about IAP or Electronic work diaries / log books? There does seem to be a lot of confusion.

Remember - IAP is a system to let you "break the rules" so long as you can be watched while you do it. It's for you to break weight limits in certain areas and the government (rightly or wrongly) feels that if you are doing this then you need to be observed. They don't trust you to stick to planned routes.

An electronic diary is for recording when you are driving, when you are resting and when you are doing other work. It should not contain any type of GPS / tracking / location data.

At the moment the log book contains information about where the driver took a break, where he started and ended his journey etc. The electronic systems may not even record this (from my restricted european experience - they don't record this at all) and do not contain tracking devices. What difference does it make where you are? you drive for a number of hours, you take a rest for a number of minutes, you drive again - who cares where you are doing it? Only an over zealous interfering government would want that type of information. It's only in the log book now becuase it's needed to validate the times a driver says he started or stopped his journey - and why is that needed? Because you don't have any other way of validating how long you have been driving - err - becuase you have no tachograph - electronic or otherwise.

I agree with Kevin - no-one is discussing what is expected of these things with the people who will be expected to use them and that is wrong - the talk of linking it to IAP means that everyone thinks that they will all be tracked - but this does not need to be the case. And Kevin is also correct about the enforcement policy. You can't do this if you are going to penalise people for minor infringments - all of that needs to be hammered out and decent rest areas need to be set up too.

What is good is that this has opened the debate and got people talking. Hopefully some of the dodgier approaches being taken have been highlighted and some of the misconceptions about other technology will be cleared up.

If you are considering putting forward a solution - at least look in to and learn about the tacho's currently available because they are specifically designed to record how long you have been performing an activity and how fast you were driving, with no location data and no tracking. It is litterally an electronic log book and should be able to provide what the government say you need without giving them information that you don't think they should be allowed to have. There will be other solutions available today and of course other systems can be created and any of them may be the one that is ideal.

We all need to sit down and take suggestions to the government - and do it as soon as possible. If the industry does not trial equipment, choose and suggest something and agree on it, then the governments will force us to use IAP for work diarys - and that is a solution no-one wants.

Comment by Unknown

posted 11 months ago

Kevin and all, as President of the National Road Freighters Association, one would think that you have the foresight and knowledge to see that there is two issues here.
1. IAP and tracking of vehicles
2. Electronic Work Diaries.
The first issue of IAP is a government controlled and run thing to see where they will be able to get more revenue from the industry.
The second issue Electronic Work Diaries, why not get the paper log book out of the truck and cut down the amount of abuse to the current system. does it really matter where you start driving and where you stop driving, as long as you do not driver over the hours allowed.
there is a lot of things to sort out and like i said yesterday reasonable and calm heads have to prevail to overcome this issue.

Comment by Kevin

posted 11 months ago

The debate and the comments on electronic work diaries highlights the fact that we in the industry are suspicious of the motives behind their proposed introduction, all of the detail and planning has excluded the mainstream trucking industry, the bureaucrats have taken it on themselves to adjudicate on what is good for us and what is not, we are not kids, we run efficient and successful businesses, which is more than I can say about the authorities pushing this crap.
For our well travelled friend Steve and the other ‘Unknown writers’ (most likely union stooges) on the site the introduction of an electronic monitoring system will not be administered by nice people, hasn’t the last twelve months taught you anything, as President of the National Road Freighters Association I can tell you that we will put forward a workable system and it may involve electronic systems, however we don’t want the heavy handed enforcement and penalties that have prevailed in the last twelve months.
Our drivers are not paedophiles or criminals and should not be tracked and treated as such, so Steve as you are most likely well intentioned you have missed the mark here, until this technology is installed in every road vehicle at the expense of the people who require it and administered by nice people don’t single out the trucking industry for a flogging.

Comment by Unknown

posted 11 months ago

If all (or the most of them) are all "Fine Upstanding Members Of The Transport Community" as they should be and the majority are doing things in line with the laws of the land what would the issue be with have electronic diaries?
The question that should be asked is "WHY DONT WE HAVE ONE SET OF RULES FOR ALL?".
Why because we sit in a class room for 6 hours we are able to tell we are tired and then we are able to drive for another 2 hours, "because we know we are tired", didnt we know we were tired before?????
The whole problem is that "The Industry" is not prepared to stand together and tell the various authorities what they will be doing to self administer a national fatigue management system. I can not work out why we have so many sets of rules regarding driving hours across the country, damn stupid if you ask me.
The current system is open to abuse and i know it is abused, everyone knows the log books are full of s--t, everyone from authorities, companies and drivers, why not cut the abuse down and stand united as an industry and show the public, the government, and most importantly ourselves that we are responsible and will come up with a solution that works.
yes the electronic work diaries will take a bit of working out for the finer details but if it is looked at in a reasonable way i am sure we can compromise and get it right.
BRING ON THE ELECTRONIC STUFF NO MORE PAPER AND PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Steve

posted 11 months ago

Hmm - interesting - I didn't bad-mouth Mr Hannifey, just think he is being too critical of his peers ability to adhere to rules...

No-one wants electronic diaries or diaries of any description, no-one wants to be monitored, but, unfortunately these things are necessary and this is the 21st Century - it's going to be electronic, it's going to be accurate, it's going to flag up every mistake. Decent drivers, driving to the rules will have nothing to fear - sure - they'll still speed a bit, they'll still go over their driving time a bit - but so long as enforcement is sensible it will be ok. You make sure don't fine or demerit a driver for going 10 minutes over his drive time to find a good place to stop - or for pulling out 15 seconds early from a break - you tell him to keep an eye on his times and try to avoid these things, and then you let him carry on doing what he is bloody good at - driving. If he continually pushes his luck, refuses to obey the rules etc then of course he would need to be penalised, but not for small irregular infringments.

For the record - I do not sell Tacho's or have anything to do with any company that does - but I do know something about them.

My comments specifically mentioning tacho's (not in this posting but Kevin has now connected them all up) are just because after 14 years working with the European industry it's a technology I am familiar with and have had experience of - unlike maybe Kevin who really hasn't made a sensible contribution to the debate about fatigue. If a suitably reliable, cheap and secure alternative electronic fatigue management system was introduced I would be just as pleased, but I see little point in people spending time and money redeveloping something that has already been developed.

Now - I cannot speak for whatever electronic diary is implemented (and something will be) - but - Kevin, I am sure you can pop a credit card type thing in a slot, start driving, remember to push the mode button to set rest when you stop for a rest, and then remember to take your data card home with you. That's basically all you'd have to do with a digi-tach and hopefully whatever system is introduced will be just as simple - it doesn't need to be harder - and that's a lot easier than filling in the paper log book too.

IAP is certainly not the answer - it is over the top monitoring of the drivers and I do agree with Kevin on his comments about this - it's a step too far and it allows for remote persecution, it also costs way too much and has an access fee - no - this is not for safety - this is for control. Government should not have access to data like this unless they specifically need to see it - then they can come and ask.. I can see what they are trying to do with it and the theory behind it - but it's not really justified - even to allow for access / HML.

I have also met Rod Hannifey and have to say that I agree with everything he is trying to do to improve safety, just on this occasion I think he is too quick to rubbish a technology that other people have been able to adopt all around Europe and other countries - how many drivers in Australia have tried a proper electronic fatigue system - one that was designed for the purpose? how many drivers here have tried a Tachograph? a real one?

As for the industry not being like Europe's? Actually - it's closer than you think... Do you think driving from Scotland to Italy is much different from crossing Australia - other than there are actually a lot more people around to be killed by a bad driver?

Australia is not that different. Sure, the vehicles are larger, rest stops are almost non-existant and there are very limnited facilities for drivers (that needs to be addressed urgently too - rest areas are a huge factor in road safety). A load is still a load, a driver is still human, people still need sleep and the public and drivers deserve to have the safest working practices in place to protect them all.

Let's not lose sight of the issues here - people are being killed - and it's not always the fault of the driver, but without suitable monitoring devices some drivers are being forced to follow unsafe practices, and some are choosing to for their own benefit - and that puts everyone at risk.

Comment by Kevin

posted 11 months ago

I happen to agree with Rod Hannifey, and if it’s so good in Europe Steve why are you here? I suspect you’re selling this technology so your comments don’t count, and for you to badmouth Rod almost certainly points to your lack of understanding just what great things Rod has and is still doing in this country.
I’m also sure that Keith McGuckin of 32 years in transport is in fact a union stooge, check out this site, so we know your agenda Mr McGuckin www.nuw.org.au/ohs/workcover/actuaodseminar/2006-12-19.3235795875/download

I knew these people didn’t refer to the same Rod Hannifey I know, I think their criticism of Rod is over the top and made without any real knowledge of what these new programs will do to our drivers.

IAP and the programmed surveillance of our performance is an invasion of our rights to move around this country without being persecuted and harassed by an unseen and unforgiving electronic system, Rod is quite correct in saying that drivers will not be able to cope with it and like him I will fight it to the death.

Comment by Aj & T

posted 11 months ago

You people are so out of touch with drivers, do you really think that the majority of drivers will want these electronic diaries?? And how dare you write such demeining comments about Rod with all that he has done to promote our industry.I can only imagine that you have some affilation with suppliers of this equipment to be recommending it so highly, and do you really think that our industry is anything like Europes???I DON'T THINK SO!

Comment by

posted 11 months ago

Well who is out of touch, Certainly not Steve. It is time to get ones head out of the sand. Steve's comment is accurate.
We have had and still got European Drivers and they think our paper type log book is a joke compared to what they done back home.Compliance is necessary in every industry, Would you use the airlines if they didn't comply? Come on Rod, give this a bit more thought, Electronic log books will help create a level playing field,obey the rules and survive and rid our industry of the rogues and cowboys.

Comment by Aj & T

posted 11 months ago

Comment by 16628694

posted 11 months ago

Couldn't agree more with Rod. Enough is enough. Safety is also about keeping good men in the drivers chair.

Comment by Unknown

posted 11 months ago

What an absolute load of crap. Is this Hannifey guy for real. This will be one of the greatest safety measures since sliced bread. Having the driver and transport totally under scrutiney will mean no more fiddling log books or manipulating tacho's or even fiddling with GPS. Wake up Hannifey, the time of the shonk is over. The general motoring public amight at last be safe on the roads for the freaks like you. You pretend to be a safety advocate. You are not a saety advocates apprentice.
Keith McGuckin - 32 years in the Transport Industry.

Comment by Steve

posted 11 months ago

So - All drivers in Europe - who have been monitored electronically for speed and time since May 2006 - and by analogue chart for over 40 years are somehow superhuman in being able to perform their jobs without breaking the law?

It doesn't say much of what Mr Hannifey thinks of his peers to say that Australian drivers are less capable than European drivers at adhering to regulations. I personally think Aussie drivers are just as capable and will be able to handle electronic log books etc. with no real issues. I think a driver is quite capable of determining if he has had a correct break or if he is speeding in Australia or anywhere in the world.

Still - some people are narrow minded and too convinced that "big brother" will take over. At the end of the day - there are rules, and they are to be obeyed whether we like it or not. It’s for the safety of the public and for the safety and protection of the drivers. Remember - this technology will stop unscrupulous operators from making their drivers break the law as well...

And if we have a bit of give and take as some people want where do we draw the line? Let people off for a 28 minute break when they should have 30? Ok – fair enough easy to accidently take 2 minutes too little – but then what about the guy who has 27 minutes? Not fair to punish him if someone else gets away with 28 is it? So – hmm – let’s see – should we punish the driver with only 26 minutes? Why don’t we say 25 is the limit. Oh – but if I only took 24 minutes? Is that fair? Rules are rules and they need to be standard, fixed, and uniform, both in what they are and how they are penalised if broken. All these arguments have been had before – a long long time ago on the other side of the world, and guess what? Drivers drive to the rules. End of problem.

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