On December 16th, 2019, motor carriers and drivers who currently must record their hours-of-service (HOS) will be required to comply with the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an ELD is a technology that automatically records a driver’s driving time and requirements for the hours-of-service records. ELD’s will provide more accurate hours-of-service documentation which will hold trucking companies to higher levels of accountability to help make the roads safer.
While ELD’s might make things easier in the long run, there can be some getting used to for truck drivers and transportation companies in general. The transition time can be cumbersome due to learning the new technology. Therefore, it is probably best to implement the ELD system as early as possible. Another thing to keep in mind when transitioning to an ELD is to make sure you need one. According to Lindsey Bergeron at foleyservices.com, there are a few big exemptions that many carriers will fall into. I suggest you list these out here so the customer doesn’t have to click on the website You can find the list here: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/faq/what-exceptions-are-allowed-electronic-logging-device-rule
Once the ELD rule is implemented, there will be consequences if drivers are not in compliance. According to alltruckjobs.com and the FMCSA, the government can force you out-of-service and not allow you to be dispatched again until you are compliant. Also, the penalties for being non-compliant can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 – sometimes more.
If you are a trucking company who falls under the non-exempt category and you still do not have an ELD in place, you can find a list of federally compliant ELD devices on the FMCSA’s self-certification list.
https://eld.fmcsa.dot.gov/List
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/eld-fact-sheet-english-version
https://www.foleyservices.com/news/the-final-eld-deadline-is-approaching/
https://www.alltruckjobs.com/blog/eld-mandate-penalties-worth-change/
