Great West Casualty Company Blog

Out-of-service enforcement for electronic logging device (ELD) violations began on April 1, 2018, and drivers may be experiencing the effects of the change already. According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), state and local law enforcement safety officials will check the following ELD-related items when conducting a roadside inspection:

Electronic logging devices (ELDs) are here. Operations staff play an integral role in helping drivers plan efficiently and schedule their time to operate within the boundaries of the hours-of-service regulations. With the transition from paper logs to ELDs, a driver’s day must be calculated down to the minute. Because of this, it is important for operations staff to be a driver’s advocate and help the driver proactively address trip planning issues before they become a problem and create unnecessary business interruptions. This approach benefits both the driver’s and the company’s earning capacity as well as boosts morale and fosters teamwork. Three areas operations staff can help drivers manage their time and avoid ELD-related problems are delays at the shipper and receiver, parking, and communication.

FMCSA released the new CVSA inspection bulletin pertaining to Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) and Automatic On-Board Recording Devices (AOBRDs). The rules beginning December 18, 2017, are outlined below. 

This is meant to be a summary of information contained in the rule. Be sure to review the rule and seek any legal advice from counsel. This material contains suggestions, and companies should find an approach that fits their unique operations best. Below is a list of several FAQs; for more FAQs and information, please visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) FAQ page at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/faqs 

This is meant to be a summary of information contained in the rule. Be sure to review the rule and seek any legal advice from counsel. This material contains suggestions, and companies should find an approach that fits their unique operations best.

Specific areas of concern for most drivers can be logging the day, on duty/off duty status, roadside inspections, what will the driver need, and what to do in case of an audit. See below for some more information on all of these concerns. This is meant to be a summary of information contained in the rule. Be sure to review the rule and seek any legal advice from counsel. This material contains suggestions, and companies should find an approach that fits their unique operations best.

After the planning and training are done, you will want to move into the actual execution or implementation phase of managing the change. To ease the actual implementation, you will roll out the use of the electronic logging devices (ELDs) in phases. The main reason for this is to beta test the devices, the data usage, and policies and procedures using a control group. Include your driver champions in the beta-testing phase. They can then serve as mentors during the full roll-out. During the beta testing phase, you will want to spend time reviewing your processes for sorting and using data. This is meant to be a summary of information contained in the rule. Be sure to review the rule and seek any legal advice from counsel. This material contains suggestions, and companies should find an approach that fits their unique operations best.

Switching from a paper logging system to an electronic logging system is not as simple as “plug in the device and let the data flow.” While electronic logging devices (ELDs) are nothing more than “very accurate logs,” the switch to an electronic logging system will impact all departments and all phases of your operation. It must be handled as a significant change, using a change management process approach. Using a change management process will allow you to maintain stability and continuity while reaching your end-state goal. In this case, the goal is the company operating effectively using an electronic logging system. With the Final Rule requiring that most drivers switch to electronic logs by December 18, 2017, carriers need to determine their end-state goal and start moving toward it sooner rather than later. There are many different change management models to work from. We are going to use one of the basic models - Prepare, Manage, Reinforce - and discuss the thoughts and actions that need to go into each step of the process. This is meant to be a summary of information contained in the rule. Be sure to review the rule and seek any legal advice from counsel. This material contains suggestions, and companies should find an approach that fits their unique operations best.

Since the system will involve hardware and software, you will need to consider when and how the devices and back office system can be implemented. How long will it realistically take you to install all the equipment once the decision is made to move forward? What level of technical knowledge will your mechanics need to install and set up the onboard system? Are you going to use outside shops to install some or all of the devices? Do you need your own IT personnel to install and operate the system? Does the vendor store the data and provide an access portal, rather than placing the hardware and software burden on you? If so, how extensive is the training for back office personnel going to be? These are all considerations that need to be reviewed in advance. This is meant to be a summary of information contained in the rule. Be sure to review the rule and seek any legal advice from counsel. This material contains suggestions, and companies should find an approach that fits their unique operations best.

The mandate for installing and using electronic logging devices (ELDs) in commercial vehicles became a reality on December 16, 2015. Unless your company is currently using automated on-board recording devices (AOBRD), it is important to begin or finalize the process soon. This is meant to be a summary of information contained in the rule. Be sure to review the rule and seek any legal advice from counsel. This material contains suggestions, and companies should find an approach that fits their unique operations best. Read below to learn more about the Final Rule.