The trucking industry slowly, but surely is changing thanks to the ELD mandate.
This new regulation has been approved by the government, and it implies the use of electronic logging devices.
On the positive side, the implementation of the electronic logging devices is expected to help trucking companies with the overall management, keeping track, as well as sharing records of duty status.
The ELD is a big deal!
As such, the electronic logging devices will impact the way you are running your trucking business. By implementing the ELD in your trucking company you will experience a safer work environment for your truck drivers while accurately tracking their records of duty status RODS data.
What Is ELD Mandate
Simply said, ELD mandate is an electronic solution that helps people engaged in the trucking industry, such as are the professional truck drivers, as well as the commercial motor carriers to have a better insight of their work by tracking their Hours of service compliance- HOS.
Thereupon, the main features of the electronic logging device should be able to:
- Let an easier approach for the truck driver to log in and select on-duty/off-duty, or on-duty/not driving;
- To record if the truck is in motion by connecting to the trucks’ engine;
- Vehicle movement drive segments should be selected automatically;
Hence, in the past truck drivers were mainly using paper logbooks in order to keep records of their work. Yet, in the last decade, this has changed dramatically.
Nowadays there are a lot of trucking companies and owner operators using the electronic logging devices. Still, even those who were against the ELD mandate will have to respect is once the rule goes into effect.
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Truck drivers will be allowed to use only compliant ELDs. The ELD Mandate will help trucking businesses and truck drivers to streamline and modernize the HOS, by excluding the logbooks that they are using at the moment.
History of Electronic Log Books
So, how did it all start?
It all started back in the mid-1980s.
Back then motor carriers made the very first steps towards the implementation of electronic logging devices to record HOS. In the 80’s the ELD was defined as Automatic On Board Recording Devices. Standards for ELD’s use were set!
Later on, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FMCSA by reforming the HOS regulations wanted to include the use of electronic devices in the trucking industry. Nevertheless, the reform was rejected and blocked by the court in 2004.
From here on, in 2010 the FMCSA published a final rule. This final rule was requiring motor carriers with significant HOS violations to install EOBRs in their trucks. The rule was named as “Electronic On-Board Recorders For Hours-of-Service Compliance”. The final rule was declared on June 4, 2010.
Later on, the same year on June 3, a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit was filled by OOIDA. This lawsuit was originating from the fact that the FMCSA was not able to address the driver harassment issues in the rule. Yet, the final rule was canceled on May 14, 2012.
In the same way, on March 12, 2014, the progress kept moving with the re-authorization bill called MAP-21. This reauthorization included a provision that mandated ELDs.
Forthwith, the final version of the mandate was released on December 10, 2015, when it was approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Who Needs To Use ELD Mandate
The ELD mandate as an electronic solution that helps people engaged in the trucking industry is mainly applying and dedicated to most motor carriers, professional truck drivers as well as commercial motor carriers.
On the other hand, the ELD Mandate besides for trucks, it applies for commercial buses as well. Henceforth, the ELD mandate is allowing a better insight of the Hours of service compliance that is why it applies to commercial buses as well.
On the other hand, the ELD Mandate at the same time is allowing limited exceptions, such as the following:
- Drivers who are using paper RODS for not more than 8 days/30 day period;
- Truck drivers who are performing drive-away-tow away operations with a vehicle manufactured before 2000;
- Truckers operating under short-haul exceptions can continue using time cards. They will not be required to keep RODS;
What is the Launch Date of the ELD Mandate
The launch of the ELD Mandate includes few steps. Let’s take a look what those steps include.
| Step One | Step one, or better known as the “Awareness and Transition Phase”, is the two year period which follows the publication of the ELD rule (February 16, 2016, to December 18, 2017). Carriers and drivers can comply with RODS by using: Paper Logs, Logging Software, AOBRDs, as well as ELDs that are self-certified and registered with FMCSA. |
| Step Two | This step is the Phased-in Compliance two year period. This period starts from the Compliance Date to the Full Compliance Phase (4 years) to December 18, 2017, to December 16, 2019. Truckers and carriers that can subject to this rule can use: Self-certified and registered ELDs with FMCSA, as well as AOBRDS that are installed prior to December 18, 2017. |
| Step Three | Step three is, in fact, the Full Compliance Phase- after December 16,2019. All truck drivers and carriers should subject to the rule with self-certified ELDs registered with FMCSA. |
Is Launch Date Final Or Is It Going To Be Postponed (Again)
Well, at this point you must be asking yourself whether the launch date is final or it is going to be postponed again?
Up until this day, the ELD Mandate rule has gone through a number of legal changes. These changes are well known by the people operating in the trucking industry. In fact, the latest legal change for the ELD mandate was brought by the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association.
