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This federal law was designed to create a safe environment for commercial vehicle operators and other drivers on the road.
Businesses operating a commercial vehicle fleet have more to worry about than just how well their cars and trucks are running. They must also be concerned with driver safety. To help ensure businesses are focused on driver safety, the U.S. government requires certain fleet operators to install electronic logging devices (ELDs) in their vehicles. Noncompliance can result in significant fines. That’s why small businesses with a commercial fleet must understand the ELD mandate, whether it applies to their operation, and, if it does, how they will adhere to it.
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The ELD mandate is a federal law designed to create a safe environment for commercial vehicle operators and other drivers on the road. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the law was adopted to “improve roadway safety by employing technology to strengthen commercial truck and bus drivers’ compliance with hours-of-service regulations that prevent fatigue.”
By regulating miles traveled and reducing driver fatigue, the FMCSA aims to build a safer roadway for everyone. Implementation of the law began in 2016 but wasn’t in full effect for everyone until 2019. However, by now, your small business should be fully compliant.
An ELD (electronic logging device) is a piece of electronic hardware connected to a driver’s vehicle. It logs hours driven and monitors how long drivers have been behind the wheel. In addition, since it is connected directly to the vehicle, it collects data on whether the engine is idling, whether the vehicle is moving, if the fleet is optimizing fuel consumption (so you can reduce your fleet’s fuel costs) and the overall duration of engine operation.
By implementing ELDs into commercial vehicles, the government can log data on how companies treat their fleets and drivers. In the past, much of this information was logged manually, making forgery and inaccurate data collection a problem. With ELDs, the data is automatically collected and logged electronically, ensuring companies and drivers are held accountable for the hours and miles they drive. The ELD mandate creates a data collection system that leads to safer roadways, as overworked drivers aren’t on the road for long periods.
The ELD mandate applies to all drivers and owner-operators who are required to keep records of duty status. These records, also referred to as RODS, require drivers to complete a specific checklist as part of the operation of their commercial vehicle. This checklist includes:
Companies and drivers are required to keep RODS if their:
As with many rules and regulations, there are, of course, exemptions to keeping both RODS and installing ELDs in your vehicles. The following exemptions apply to RODS and thus ELDs:
In addition, there are specific exemptions for drivers and companies that don’t need to use ELDs. These exemptions include:
Notably, the size of your fleet doesn’t impact whether you’re required to install ELDs in your vehicles. Even if you run a very small business with only one or two vehicles, if they meet the weight requirement and your drivers meet the hours requirements for keeping RODS, you’re responsible for installing ELDs in your vehicles.
If you meet the qualifications and must install ELDs in your vehicles, there are a few essential steps to take. For one thing, there are many types of ELDs. If you work with a telematics company to build a fleet optimization platform for your business, it will likely be able to provide you with ELDs. Before signing up, work with your sales representative to understand if the ELDs the company offers are FMCSA-compliant. You can find a list of the precertified ELDs on the FMCSA website.
If you implement ELDs, remember that how the devices are installed matters. The FMCSA cares about the installation as it pertains to how and what data can be collected. To stay compliant, work closely with your telematics solution provider to ensure the devices are correctly installed, and collect all the necessary information. The FMCSA will likely hold you responsible if you fail to do so.
The ELD mandate requires companies and drivers to adhere to the following rules when installing the devices and gathering the necessary information:
Businesses that do not adhere to the ELD mandate face significant fines and penalties. Depending on the fleet, fines can range from $1,000 to upwards of $25,000.
ELDs, RODS and hours of service (HOS) are all connected. They monitor drivers’ hours worked over 24-hour and seven-day periods. While you’ll find details on RODS and ELDs above, it’s also crucial to understand how HOS regulations factor into government compliance.
HOS ties in directly with RODS. RODS and ELDs are two methods by which the FMCSA can enforce HOS regulations. These laws deal directly with how long a driver can drive, when they’re required to take breaks and how often they can drive within a seven-day period.
These laws exist to keep fleets safe and ensure the well-being of drivers and other motorists on the roadways. They focus on driver fatigue and drowsiness and strive to address situations where drivers are overworked and a danger to themselves and others. Through ELDs and RODS, the government can better enforce standards set out in HOS mandates.
Choosing the right GPS fleet management system that seamlessly ensures ELD compliance is crucial. We’ll highlight a few of the best GPS fleet management systems on the market to help ensure ELD compliance.
Samsara’s GPS fleet management system allows you to track your fleet in real time. It boasts an intuitive interface and advanced fleet management features while helping businesses maintain ELD compliance via a unified compliance dashboard. Our Samsara review explains how this platform accurately tracks driver activity, including engine diagnostics and safety details.
Motive’s GPS fleet tracking service prioritizes safety. The platform’s driver-specific app is compatible with all ELD regulations and makes compliance easy for drivers. Read our Motive review to learn how this system uses AI analysis to detect risky driving.
Verizon Connect is a popular and flexible GPS fleet management system. Its software ensures ELD (and International Fuel Tax Agreement) compliance, even offering live training on maintaining compliance. Our detailed review of Verizon Connect shares more about its unique features, like roadside assistance.
Ensuring ELD compliance is an essential part of operating a commercial vehicle fleet. Driver safety should be a top priority for businesses, and continuing to track the appropriate driver data and hours of service will allow you to identify any red flags. Maintaining ELD compliance helps you avoid significant fines while protecting your business and its employees.
Sammi Caramela contributed to this article.
