ELD/HOS

According to the FMCSA, the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule will “improve roadway safety by employing technology to strengthen commercial truck and bus drivers with hours-of-service regulations that prevent fatigue.” Electronic logs remove the loopholes of tracking hours of service with paper logs. Those loopholes enabled operating a vehicle for too long between rest intervals, which produced harmful – even fatal – effects for drivers and the public.

An Electronic Logging Device (ELD) automatically records Hours of Service (HOS) and driving time while monitoring location, engine hours, vehicle movement, and miles driven. The ELD collects these data by synchronizing with the vehicle’s engine. ELDs save time by reducing paperwork and speeding up inspections. It saves money as less is spent on paper logs and administration. It reduces risk of error and makes compliance easier.

Each piece of the ELD system does its part to ensure a reliable, accurate, and stable flow of data. As the vehicle is driven, the system follows a cyclical process: The GO device sends engine and location data to MyGeotab. The Drive App sends the driver’s duty status to MyGeotab and combines data from the Drive App and the GO device to create an accurate record of duty status. MyGeotab then sends the updated information back to the Drive App.

Essentially all Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) carriers operating across state lines must use ELDs. Specifically, any driver who maintains 8 or more days worth of duty status logs, out of 30 days, will require an ELD.

Your fleet is ONLY exempt from the ELD requirement IF your business is formally classified as a “Short Haul” operator, and your drivers use RODS no more than 8 days in any 30 day period. You may also be exempt if your business is formally classified as a “driveaway-towaway” operator, provided the vehicle driven is part of the shipment. Lastly, you are exempt if your commercial motor vehicles are older than the model year 2000 (as determined by the VIN).

ELDs will help you save time, money and lives by letting you reduce paperwork, increase the efficiency of record-keeping and inspections, minimize violations, prevent accidents, deliver real-time access to information, provide up-to-date logbook information to law enforcement/DOT, and improve your CSA safety ratings by managing the factors that drive your HOS BASIC score.