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SOME SMALL CARRIERS, INCLUDING MANY INDEPENDENT TRUCKERS, ARE VOCAL
OPPONENTS OF THE NEW RULE. HOWEVER A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF CARRIERS
ARE SUPPORTIVE AND PLAN TO COMPLY. THE NUMBER OF CARRIERS WITH NEW
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AUTHORIZATIONS EXCEEDED THOSE LEAVING

THE BUSINESS. ELD VENDORS REPORT A STEADY STREAM OF SALES.

—JAY THOMPSON, CHIEF OF THE ARKANSAS HIGHWAY POLICE AND PRESIDENT OF THE
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SAFETY ALLIANCE

“The time to transition is now,” with AOBRD systems,” he says. to continue using AOBRD software on
says Mike Ahart, vice president of Ed. note: At the 2019 Safety any truck, as long as they’re running
regulatory affairs at fleet management Symposium, Clay Merches, president with the ELD capable devices.
software provider Omnitracs. “Waiting of Leading Edge Consulting, presented But the December grace period is
until later in the year may put you in a on how the safety compliance auditing final, and no further extensions are
long line of motor carriers/drivers who world has changed since the ELD rule expected.
need assistance.” took effect. Auditors request reports Limited ELD rule exceptions extend
AOBRDS are required to record for log violations, odometer jumps, to short-haul drivers not required to
engine use, speed, miles driven and date yard moves, personal conveyance, keep RODS, drivers who use paper
and time of day. The ELD requires inte- vehicle inspections, and more. As ELDs RODS for not more than eight days out
gral synchronization interfacing with provide more data than AOBRDs, more of every 30-day period, drivers who con-
the vehicle’s engine electronic control data will be used to audit a carrier’s duct drive-away-tow-away operations
module (ERM) to record engine power compliance. in which the vehicle driven is the com-
status, vehicle motion status, miles According to the Federal Motor modity being delivered and drivers of
driven and engine hours. It also requires Carrier Safety Administration: “The vehicles manufactured before 2000.
automated entry at each change of duty ELD rule requires ELD use by commer- The ELD is a relatively simply elec-
status, at 60-minute intervals while cial drivers who are required to prepare trical device attached to the vehicle’s
the vehicle is in motion, at engine-on hours-of-service (HOS) records of duty engine and driveline system. The driver
and engine-off moments, at the begin- status (RODS); sets ELD performance logs into the ELD and starts the clock,
ning and end of personal use and yard and design standards, and requires but the system is not necessarily “plug
moves. ELDs to be certified and registered with and play.”
FMCSA; establishes what supporting Most units require steps to stay
MORE DATA, MORE ACCURACY documents drivers and carriers are within compliance, and there are a vari-
In other words, ELDs record and required to keep and prohibits harass- ety of brands, makes and models.
display more data. ment of drivers based on ELD data or Thompson shared a few recom-
“These devices will improve the connected technology (such as fleet mended guidelines for carriers to follow
accuracy in the reporting of hours or management system). when buying an ELD unit.
service for commercial drivers,” says “The rule also provides recourse First, the units must be certified
Chief Jay Thompson of the Arkansas for drivers who believe they have been and published on the FMCSA website.
Highway Police and president of the harassed.” One of the requirements is that all ELD
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. All carriers completing RODS for devices be certified by the manufac-
Thompson the switch should leave drivers were required to have ELDs turer as compliant with the mandate
drivers with more time to drive and less installed and working by Dec. 17, 2017. and listed on the FMCSA site. There
time spent on paperwork. ELDs, he says, Previously the Federal Motor Carrier are approximately 480 registered ELD
account for all the time the vehicle is in Safety Administration had said that certified devices. Device vendors are the
motion and unassigned driving events. ELDs would have to be purchased for ones responsible for self-certifying and
“This prevents the tampering of any new trucks added to fleets, but the
driver hours data that sometimes occurs guidelines were revised to permit fleets 

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 5 2019 39