ELDs Are Now Law

After months of anticipation, the FMCSA has announced that it will release its rule concerning ELD use on December 11, 2015. Companies will have two years to become compliant, or four years if they already use an electronic device to record driver hours. The time to comply is now - all carriers who are required to track their drivers’ hours are required to comply with this rule. These carriers can be further divided into two groups – those who currently use paper logs and those who use Automatic On-Board Recording Devices (AOBRDs.)

Paper logs have long been used to track drivers’ hours of service (HOS) in line with federal regulations. The ELD mandate is designed to create safer road conditions by allowing companies to closely track driver work hours and give drivers time to rest. Companies that use paper logs have two years to replace those logs with ELDs. Companies that use AOBRDs, on the other hand, have four years to comply with the mandate. AOBRDs are similar to ELDs in that they electronically record drivers’ HOS. The crucial difference is that ELDs are connected to the vehicle’s electronic control module and AOBRDs are not. This connection allows ELDs to validate HOS information with data collected from the vehicle’s computer.

Teletrac has closely followed the ELD mandate since the federal government announced it was rewriting the federal rule. Teletrac has always prioritized adherence to government regulations. When the FMCSA announced the change in the 34-hour restart rule, it required modifications in all electronic logging systems. Teletrac’s engineers were able to create a new, federally compliant system in 30 days. Many telematics providers still have not been able to adjust to that change in the rule. With this history of thorough and accurate software development, Teletrac will continue to be able to provide software that keeps companies compliant.