An ELD is a digital record that commercial drivers must keep to track records of duty service (RODS) under federal hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. ELD solutions make maintaining a driver’s records more convenient, as well as making it easier to comply with the ELD mandate from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
That ELD mandate, which began in 2017, applies to motor carriers and drivers who are currently required to maintain RODS, according to the FMCSA Fact Sheet. The equipment used to create an ELD must be certified and registered with the FMCSA.
What Is RODS?
Every driver must complete a RODS for every 24-hour period. The logs must be kept current and retained to stay compliant with government regulations. RODS replaces the old paperwork system drivers used to record their service. An ELD monitors a vehicle’s engine, recording data on when an engine is running, when a vehicle is moving and miles driven, among other information.
Also, law enforcement can check a driver’s hours of service by viewing the ELD’s display screen or by printing the ELD out. FMCSA projects that law enforcement officers “in the near future” will be able to retrieve data from an ELD by directly transferring it to their own device.
What Is HOS?
The Hours of Service regulations from FMCSA cover the use of commercial vehicles for transport of goods and passengers. HOS regulations cover areas such as the maximum number of consecutive hours a driver can stay on the road, the amount of time required for rest breaks, and the number of consecutive days a driver can work.
Best ELD Solutions
Telematics offers ELD solutions that keep fleets in compliance with government regulations. That’s important, as compliance is often listed among the biggest issues facing fleet managers and drivers.
Systems offered through EnVue Telematics support drivers in the four major areas of ELD.
Record. ELD synchronizes with the engine to record engine power status, vehicle motion status, miles driver, engine hours, duty status and provides identification of the driver, vehicle and motor carrier.
Certify. ELD allows drivers to certify their RODS as complete, as well as provide any annotations.
Transfer. Drivers can transfer ELD data to safety officials through secure methods.
Review. Safety officials can review ELD data they have received no matter their location. EnVue offers a number of ELD solutions. Each is compliant with FMCSA regulations. These systems also keep commercial fleets in compliance with HOS, Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR), the International Fuel Tax Agreement between Canada and the United States, and cold chain custody requirements.
