As a major milestone in the ELD compliance timeline approaches, more attention is being directed at the timeline itself. Motor carriers and drivers alike are curious about how the timeline will affect their businesses and what steps must be taken when in order to reach compliance.

Phase One – Transition and Awareness

This phase of the timeline is already in progress. It began February 16, 2016 and will end on December 18, 2017 when Phase Two, or the Compliance Phase, begins. During this phase, drivers and carriers who are required to comply with the ELD rule may choose to use paper logs, logging software, AOBRDS (Automatic On Board Recording Devices) or ELDs (Electronic Logging Devices).

You will only want to use ELD software solution options that are officially registered and that appear on the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) website.

Phase Two – Phased-In Compliance

The first stage of compliance must be met by the vast majority of drivers and motor carriers by December 18, 2017 when this phase goes into effect. During phased-in compliance drivers and carriers are required to have qualifying ELDs in use in all vehicles that fall within the requirements.

Carriers and drivers who are currently operating with AOBRDS are not yet required to achieve full compliance as they have been grandfathered in and have been granted an extension before compliance is required. GPS tracking devices are not necessarily ELDs, but many ELD makers are using GPS tracking technology as part of their product offerings.

Phase Three – Full Compliance

By December 16, 2019, full compliance must be met by all motor carriers and drivers who are subject to the ELD rule. All drivers and carriers at this time must use ELDs that have been approved by the FMCSA.

The transition phases as meant to serve as a time to allow motor carriers and drivers the opportunity to obtain the electronic logging devices software that works best to meet your needs. Don’t delay this critical business decision unnecessarily leaving you little time to make the right decision.

To learn more about our electronic logging software solution, contact a LiveView GPS expert at 1-888-544-0494, complete our online form, or join our online chat.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has put the ELD (Electronic Logging Device) rule into place and it is causing a great deal of speculation among businesses that may be affected by these new requirements.

Below you will find answers to some of the more commonly asked questions and concerns regarding this new rule and what it means for motor carriers and drivers.

What primary requirements does the ELD rule put into place?

There are several principal requirements outlined in the ELD rule including the requirement that drivers who are currently required to fill out hours-of-service RODS (records of duty status) use ELDs. It also establishes performance and design standards required for ELDs to be compliant with FMCSA certification and defines which documents drivers and carriers must keep to be compliant. It also goes so far as to prohibit the harassment of drivers and provides an avenue of recourse for drivers who have been subjected to harassment.

Why was the ELD rule established?

The ELD rule applies to most drivers or carriers who are currently required to maintain RODS. It was established in hopes of creating work environments that are safer for drivers as its primary concern. It also serves to make the management, tracking, and sharing of RODS data easier, faster, more accurate, and more efficient.

When are carriers and drivers required to comply with the ELD rule?

The deadline for drivers and carriers to comply with the ELD rule by using appropriate electronic logging devices, is December 18, 2017. Drivers and carriers who are currently using automatic on-board recording devices have additional time, until December 16, 2019, to become compliant with the new regulations.

How long are carriers required to maintain copies of RODS data from ELDs?

Motor carriers are required to keep not only ELD RODS date, but also back-up copies of the date on separate devices for six months. The carrier is also charged with the responsibility of properly storing and securing this information in order to protect the privacy of its drivers.

When is location data recorded by ELDs?

Electronic logging devices software will record location data in 60-minute intervals when vehicles are in motion as well as when drivers start and turn off their engines, record a change of duty status, or indicate yard moves are taking place. GPS tracking technology is highly useful for providing accuracy for this critical element.

What information is automatically recorded by electronic logging devices?

ELDs will follow the following types of information at specific intervals:

• Date
• Time
• Location information (similar to how some GPS tracking devices record information)
• Engine hours
• Vehicle miles

It will also record identification information about the driver, vehicle, motor carrier, and/or authenticated user.

Can ELDs be used to warn drivers who are approaching HOS (hours-of-service) limits?

As one of the key elements of the ELD rule is to safeguard drivers and ensure compliance with HOS requirements, it is completely fitting that companies may choose to use electronic logging devices that offer some type of warning or notification that drivers are approaching their HOS limits for the day. While this feature is allowed on ELDs it is not required so drivers and carriers may want to consider this when selecting an ELD software solution.

For additional FAQs related to the ELD Rule, see the FMCSA website.

To learn more about our electronic logging software solution available at LiveView GPS, contact a LiveView GPS expert at 1-888-544-0494, complete our online form, or join our online chat.

We’ve all dreamed of finding a message in a bottle at some point or another in our lives, and for one Scottish woman, this daydream has become reality. When Rhoda Meek, who lives on the island of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides, was told by a friend that something very intriguing has washed ashore, she eagerly set off to investigate. What she found was a GPS-tracked experimental device that has come all the way from Iceland.

 What had happened was that a pair of GPS-tracked capsules were dropped via a helicopter into the sea as an element of a project between engineering company Verkis and Iceland’s national broadcasting company.

 The project was begun to illustrate to children than when trash is dumped into the sea, it doesn’t just disappear. It eventually reaches the shore and is a huge environmental issue that affects both wildlife and people living on the world’s coastlines.

 At the time of writing, the second of the devices is floating somewhere in the sea off the Western Isles.

 The team of Icelandic scientists had initially expected both devices to land in Norway after floating beyond Greenland and reaching close to the coast of Canada. However, they continued to travel south, finding their way to Scotland.

 Eastern winds caused the bottles to circle Iceland for some time, eventually travelling towards the Labrador and Newfoundland coast. By August, winds blowing from the north nudged the devices southeast along the Labrador coast, by September they’d headed east towards the center of the Atlantic. Once there, they travelled, east and northeast and after 14,500 km of floating, reached Scotland.

 If you’re wondering what Rhoda did with the bottle when she discovered it, she packed it up carefully and sent it back to Iceland. Interestingly, throughout the time they were in the oceans, the bottles stayed remarkably close together and if you want to take a look for yourself and see their extraordinary journey, you can find it here.