ELD’s have an option to mention the manifest or the shipping document number in the Record of Duty status. As per FMCSA, any document which directs towards the movement of any passengers or cargo must be mentioned in the driver’s electronic logs. Examples of such documents are manifests, invoices, trip reports, order numbers etc.

If a driver is going on more than one trip on same calendar day, then shipping document number or manifest number for each trip should be mentioned in the “Remarks” or the “Comment” section of their record of duty status.

Following is the link by FMCSA- regulations/Q14 which further explains this subject

www.fmcsa.dot.gov

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.

As per this graphical representation provided by Federal Motor Carrier Safety (FMCSA) on their website,  the number of times the drivers are given tickets for violations of hours of service have gone down considerably since the mandate came in effect in December, 2017.

The percentage has decreased from 1.31% to 0.64% in May 2018. The drastic change came in January, 2017 from 1.19% to 0.83% which was the first month of the ELD mandate.

FMCSA has also provided periodic Motor Carrier Safety Progress reports. For more information, please visit: www.fmcsa.dot.gov/

A prediction can be made that this decrease will continue considering that ELD’s are used accurately.

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.

The recent mandate of using ELD since December 2017 has made it essential for drivers and carriers to know the difference between AOBRD and ELD. The AOBRD (automatic On-board recording devices) are electronic or mechanical devices that record information about status of driver like distance traveled, driving speed, date and time etc. ELD’s (electronic logging devices) are similar and monitor miles driven, distance traveled, speed and engine use.

There are significant differences between these two devices. In terms of recording information the ELD records in detail the identification of the driver, vehicle information, malfunctions which are more than what AOBRD records. ELD allows limited changes and all changes of the driver status are recorded. Auto entries are created in ELD that automatically record the locations and status change of drivers.

There are also certain special driving options in ELD for drivers. These include yard moves and personal use options. These are selected by the driver. In case ELD is used, a detailed report of the driver duty can be sent electronically to officer when required. This option may not be provided in case an AOBRD is used.

Drivers must notify the officers at roadside whether they are using AOBRD or ELD.  All carriers that started after December, 2017 are only allowed to use ELD’s and not AOBRD’s.

For further information on ELD, please visit https://aiksphere.com/e-log/

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.

There is a possibility that  four areas of Hours of service (HOS) might be revised as per Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). FMCSA is seeking public comment which is open till 24th September. The 4 areas which are likely to be revised are as follows-

1. For short haul drivers an increase from 12 hours On- Duty to 14 hours On-Duty, in order to be consistent with rules of long haul drivers.
2. Increase of 2 hours from 14 ours On- Duty limitation in case driver faces adverse driving.
3. Revision of the 30 minute break time after 8 hours of continuous driving.
4. Changes in regards to the splitting of 10 hour off duty rest break if the drivers are driving trucks with sleeper- berth compartment

Read more at FMCSA page with corresponding news and current HOS rules for reference: csa.fmcsa.dot.gov

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.

It is possible for a trucking company to have more than one driver assigned to a single unit. When a vehicle is operated by team (2 drivers) and both drivers access their respective accounts by taking turns it is called ‘switching’.

The drivers must use their own accounts for logging their respective logs. It is the responsibility of drivers to make sure they are using the correct active account for recording their electronic logs. In order to successfully switch between two accounts, it is important that each driver is logged in with the correct credentials. When one drive is not driving, he/she should make sure that they are logged in and their status is ‘Sleeper Berth’.

Majority of ELD’s now display the active driver on top of the screen in a different colour. They also show the remaining Driving time and ON- Duty time for the current shift and cycle. This display makes it easier for drivers to plan their shifts more efficiently. Below, is a link of FMCSA document showing steps on how to ‘add a co-driver’ and ‘switch driver’ in ELD’s

Read more: csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/ELD/File/Index/13e2685c-1692-694e-bd3f-aef1c65b3734

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.

As per an article by Ontario trucking association, there are more than 360 types of ELD’s and it is not possible for officers to know how to operate all of them. It becomes crucial for drivers to understand how ELD works and if need be they can guide the officers about the same.

The instruction manuals must be provided to the drivers which guide the drivers and officers about using the ELD. Having untrained drivers may result in spending longer time at inspection stations due to lack of knowledge.  In addition, it may also lead to unnecessary frustration, stress and warning or violation from officer. Furthermore, it may lead to delay in the operations.

It is very important that drivers are provided classroom training on using ELD’s. Management should not train drivers on the go and should make sure drivers fully understand how to use ELD’s before they start on the road.

Read more: http://ontruck.org/enforcement-more-eld-driver-training-needed/

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.

Since the regulation of using ELD has been mandated by FMCSA in December 2017, it is crucial for companies to record all movement of their trucks recorded along with the driver(s) who is driving the vehicle.  However, when a truck is being driven without having a driver successfully logged in it is called Unassigned Driving Time.

It is the responsibility of the driver and the motor carrier to reassign the unassigned driving time.  Motor carrier can assign the unassigned driving with an explanation. The explanation must include the reason as to why the driving was reassigned.

If there is unreasonable amount of unassigned drive time, FMCSA may consider the driver or motor carrier an imminent hazard. It is highly advisable for the motor carriers and drivers to keep unassigned driving time as minimum as possible.

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.

Tracking is an essential component for the trucking industry and it keeps the companies updated with real time movements of their tractors. It is also beneficial in case of any emergency or if the driver seeks assistance in any way. With so many solutions in the market being available, we believe it is very important for the companies to select the right solution that works for them. These solutions can be mainly categorized in 3 types. Following is a comparison between the three.

The tracking systems are much more smarter than before in terms of saving time and money for the companies. Some of the functionalities that come standard with majority of these systems are route replay, mileage reports for IFTA and driver payment, Geo zoning for notifications etc. According to the comparison above, companies may chose the right tracking system that fits their needs.

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.

FMCSA has the authority to declare any driver or company to be an imminent hazard if there are violations found in regards to the safety statutes and regulations. There has been such an instance recently, where FMCSA has asked company to cease all it operations (link below).

It is for the drivers and companies to keep in mind that electronic log books are to be used in accordance with the FMCSA. The dispatchers of trucking companies have to keep an eye on the hours that drivers are recording in as Driving, On-Duty, Off-Duty and Sleeper Berth to keep regular compliance.

The Electronic log books have to be properly used and any manipulation with the ELD’s like unplugging them will result In non compliance. These kind of manipulations are taken very seriously by the officers and are illegal. Proper training of dispatchers and drivers is highly recommended for all trucking companies for better understanding of the consequences in case any non compliance occurs.

At AikSphere, we provide training for dispatchers and also provide certified ELD’s for our valuable customers. Our ELD’s record and give proper representation of the daily hours of service of drivers. For more information on the training programs, please check our website aiks.ca

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/fmcsa-declares-georgia-trucking-company-be-imminent-hazard-public-safety

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.

A huge shortage has been reported in regards to truck drivers. As drivers are gone away from their homes for long periods of time, it is not a lifestyle for all. The largest shortage was reported in 2017 as per Fortune.com (article link below). This is not good for supply chain of freight transportation in general. The demand of long haul trucks is increasing however, trucking companies are in search for qualified truck drivers who can haul for long periods of time and this has created a huge demand for truck driving jobs.

It is difficult for drivers to maintain their lifestyle specially after changes in rules and regulations by FMCSA in U.S in regard to limitation on driving hours. The implementation of electronic log books (ELOGS) have also made a huge impact on the industry. It seems like it will take some time for the industry to adapt and overcome these changes.

Here are some links of articles on the same topic.

http://fortune.com/2018/06/27/americas-trucker-shortage/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciakelso/2018/07/24/restaurant-industry-feeling-the-pinch-of-truck-driver-shortage/#32650d1d210a

Disclaimer- The rules and regulations are subject to change any time. Readers must verify with the authority, FMCSA/MTO and must not rely on the contents of this blog.