A yard can be defined as operator’s own terminals or it could be a customer’s yard, a drop yard, a receiver’s facility, any other similar location or facility. FMCSA has categorized yard moves as a special driving condition.
When/How to use it?
Yard Move is used when you need to move your truck for few meters and do not want these little moves to cut down your available driving time. It is easy to use yard move feature with Aiksphere’s AOBRD/ELD by just one click.
How yard move is different from personal use?
Both yard move and personal use is special driving category that are not calculated as a part of drive time. The main difference between them is the way they are recorded. Yard move is recorded as on-duty, not driving time whereas personal use is recorded as off-duty time. Personal use is a driving done after releasing from all the work duties to travel to home or lodge. To understand the personal use in detail, please refer to our previous blog on Personal Use.
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 facility audit is a “risk based” assessment of the elements known to cause or contribute to commercial motor vehicle collision, and to reduce their livelihood by Ministry of Transportation (MTO).
Purpose of Audit
The purpose of the Facility Audit is to examine the safety – management controls are properly implemented and maintained, and to ensure the drivers are:
Qualified to drive the operator’s equipment
Performing the proper inspections of operator’s equipment add reporting defects
Complaint with the Hours of Service regulation
The operators are assessed based on the following elements. Each element is rated on range from 0 to 100 points and reflects the operator’s safety performance both on-road and off-road.
3 primary elements
Hours of service
Six months period records are required of both the company drivers and owner operators.
Driver qualification
Two-year period records are required both the company drivers and owner operators or from the date the driver started with the operator (if less), or six months after the driver discontinues.
Vehicle Maintenance
24 months period records are required of all kinds of vehicles belonging to the operators or 6 months after the vehicle ceases to be operated.
These primary elements hold 100 points each and is divided into subcategory. Each subcategory has its own weightings.
Whether you are undergoing audits voluntarily or on request by MTO, the operators need to prepare properly to score high on carrier safety ratings. All the information related to what documents are required and how scores are calculated can be find under Module 6 of Commercial Vehicle Operators’ Safety Manual published by Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.
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.
Although the ELD mandate went into effective on December 18, 2017 but FMSCA’s regulation have pushed the deadline of implementing ELD for automatic on-board recording devices (AOBRD) users (fleets) until December 16, 2019.
When is the right time to switch?
The fleet owners should switch sooner than waiting until the last minute for a smoother transitioning process. Any new process will bring along some minor kicks and would require enough time to get thoroughly trained and address any issues. Switching before the deadline will also help fleet owners and drivers to understand the benefits of ELD (fewer accidents and violations) along with adjusting to the new system.
How to switch?
Switching is very easy process. Fleet owners just need to contact their AOBRD/ELD providers to request the change.
What changes will be reflected after switching?
The main difference between the AOBRD and ELD is the way driving event is recorded. An ELD automatically records all the time a vehicle was in motion as driving time that cannot be edited or changed to non-driving time. In addition, all the edits are recorded with annotations (reasons for editing the logs). To understand the difference more deeply, please refer to our previous blog on Difference between AOBRD and ELD.
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.
Whenever we come across term fleet tracking, we simply picture it as system providing the information about the location of the vehicle. Tracking technology is far more powerful than just tracking the vehicles. It can serve as an effective and affordable tool by fleet owners to excel in business and maximize profits.
Strong customer relationship– Provides real-time updates and ETA for deliveries to your customers. It can greatly reduce the stress and concerns of the shippers, receivers, and customers. Thus, increasing customer satisfaction.
Reduce fuel and maintenance cost–Idling, speeding, fast starts and stops can cost companies to spend a lot of money on fuel and maintenance. Tracking technology can help in monitoring vehicle performance 24/7 leading to improve vehicle life expectancy.
Easy Dispatching – Have real time access to equipment location on the portal instead of calling, texting or emailing the drivers. This increases operation efficiency, planning, and reduces cost.
Reduce Insurance Costs – Safe driving and safe vehicles are key to lower insurance costs. Implementing tracking system reduces the risk of freight theft and fast recoveries of the stolen cargo. In addition, monitoring driver behavior for hard brakes, speeding, sharp turns, etc. encourages driver to be more responsible behind the wheels.
IFTA – Tracking system calculates the fuel taxes in a fraction of the time. Saves you from all the time consuming and error-prone manual process.
Fleet tracking system is a great investment for all sizes of fleets. It provides great ROI in addition to all the benefits listed above. Follow the link: truck-tracking to learn more about our GPS tracking devices.
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.
10 consecutive off hours can be split into two rest periods of 8 and 2 hours according to the split sleeper berth rule.
Purpose
Provides flexibility to the drivers in regards to their shift hours.
Requirements
No more than 2 rest periods.
At least 8 consecutive hours in sleep.
2 consecutive off hours
These two hours can be part of sleeper berth, off duty or both.
Note: The rest period can be taken in any order.
Example: Explaining the split sleep in US:
After the first rest period, 2 consecutive hours off duty (6:00 AM to 8:00 AM), the driver will only get his rest of the unused hours back from his shift hours that started at 12:00 AM. So, in this scenario the driver will have 6 hours of drive time and 8 hours of on-duty.
After completing the second rest period, 8 consecutive hours of sleeper berth (4:00 PM to 12:00 PM), the drivers will not get their full 11/14 hours of drive/on-duty respectively but instead their shift will now start from the end of his first break (8:00 AM). New shift start time – 8:00 AM, 6 hours of driving (between two rest periods) have already used from 11 hours of driving. So, the available driving hours will be 5 hours.
Calculation of available hours after having both rest period:
Driving = (Total drive hours) – (driving hours from the start of new shift)
(11 hours) – (6 hours)
5 hours
On Duty = (Total on-duty hours) – (on-duty hours used from the start of the new shift)
(14 hours) – (6 hours)
8 hours
In Canada
Split sleep in Canada is same as in US. The only difference is that the total of the elapsed times before and after each sleeper berth period should not be more than16 hours.
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.
To start before 8 hours are completed of on-duty from last off duty
To start before 8 hours are completed of on-duty from last 30 mins break
Example 1:
In this example, the driver was on-duty more than 8 hours by a minute. He is in violation for not taking consecutive 30 mins break. He needs to take break within/after 8 hours of on-duty.
Example 2: In this example, though the driver took the break within 8 hours of on-duty, but that break is of 29 mins not 30 mins. The driver is in violation now for missing the 30 mins break after 8 hours of on-duty.
Example 3: In this example, the driver did take 30 mins break but the 30 mins break rule starts again after the recent 30 mins break. The driver is in violation for being on-duty for more than 8 hours after his recent 30 mins break.
Our ELD, provides proper notification for next break which is every 8 hours of on-duty and gives warnings one hour before occurrence of any such violation.
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.
Short haul drivers are given special exemption allowing them to remain on-duty for 16 hours instead of 14 hours by FMCSA. Though the allowed driving hours a day remain 11 hours. The exemption is granted to decrease HOS violation as these drivers might speed or drive recklessly in order to reach their homes. The rule ensures that the drivers gets a chance to reach their home safely instead of spending their day/night hours in sleeper berth or hotel.
Must use 16-hour exemption once every 7 consecutive days
Must take 34 consecutive hours off to restart a 7/8 days cycle
Must be released from duty within 16 hours of on –duty
At least 10 consecutive off hours
Note: This exemption does not apply to drivers who qualifies for non – CDL short haul exemption.
For more details on non – CDL short haul exemption please refer to our previous blog on short haul.
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 CDL driver who operates within 100 miles radius of reporting work location are exempted from paper log book and e-log
Conditions
11 hours of driving
12 hours of on-duty
Must return to work location everyday
At least 10 consecutive hours off-duty
No record of duty status
150-mile exception (Non – CDL short haul exception)
A Non-CDL driver who operates within 150 miles radius of reporting work location. Under this exception 14 hour driving window is extended to 16 hours for 2 days in 7 consecutive days. Also, the drivers who qualifies for non-CDL short haul exemption are exempt from the 30 min break rule.
Conditions
Must return to work location everyday
11 hours of driving
At least 10 consecutive hours off-duty
No drive after 14thhour of on duty on five days of any period of seven consecutive days
No drive after the 16thhour of coming on duty on two days of any period of seven consecutive days
Documentation to be maintained by motor carriers for 6 months
The time the driver reports for duty each day
The total number of hours the driver is on duty each day
The time the driver is released from duty each day
The total time for the preceding 7 day for drivers used for the first time or intermittently.
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.
Electronic logging devices (ELD) record driver’s hours of service (HOS) directly from the truck’s ECM. ELD’s have proved to be a major break through for the transportation industry in North America after mandate enforced by FMCSA since December 2017
Expedited enforcement of ELD in Canada
Currently, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) is finalizing the technical standards of ELDs. There is a good chance that the rule will be published by the end of 2019 for its mandate starting from 2020 with an extended compliance date in 2022. The ELD mandate in Canada is supposedly to be mirrored with the ELD mandate in the U.S. with ELD already mandated in the U.S., majority of fleet companies in Canada have started preparing for the ELD mandate and using them in advance to allow a smooth transition from paper logs to electronic logging devices.
Benefits for Fleet and drivers
More Safety– It is one of the main purposes of using ELD’s. Drivers are constantly reminded about their rest breaks. Hence, fatigue is reduced, and drivers are less prone to accidents. Thus, increases fleet’s overall safety.
Replacement of paper logs– Using Electronic logging devices allows drivers to be hassle free as ELD’s record automatic readings and data can be stored electronically. This saves driver’s time and money.
Compliance with regulations- By using ELD’s drivers remain in constant compliance with the U.S and Canada regulations. The ELD’s make sure the drivers stay in compliance by giving them a foretime warnings and indications of their violations.
Reduction of Errors and Tampering of driver’s hours of service (HOS)- ELD usage has reduced the violations and editing of annotations. Only limited entries are editable, the mistakes by the drivers can be corrected by both the authorized carrier staff and driver with an annotation (note) explaining the reason for their editing. Also, the drivers are not permitted to tamper with the drive time and hours available for driving.
Our ELD, is fully compliant with both Canadian and U.S regulations with additional features such as driver behaviour. Easy to use, automatic switching to US or Canadian regulation when crossing the border, automatic switching from driving to on-duty during traffic. We offer wide range of integrated solutions for transportation industries such as Dispatch Software, Border Crossing, GPS Tracking.
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.
16 hour rule states that a Work shift can be extended to 16 hours
To understand this rule, first we need to know the meaning of the following terms: –
Elapsed time:
Elapsed time is simply the time between two points. As an example, in below graph, elapsed time between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM is 3 hours
Work shift:
Work shift is the time (Elapsed time) between 2 off-duty periods of at-least 8 consecutive hours
Work shift rules–
Work shift starts from the last period of at-least 8 consecutive hours of off-duty or sleeper berth
Work shift cannot be more than 16 hours. In other words, you must not be on-duty after the 16th hour of Work shift.
16 hours (Work shift) includes on-duty, driving and off-duty hours. These off-duty hours are not part of the mandatory 8 consecutive off hours.
2 hours out of 16 hours of work shift should be accounted as sleeper berth and/or off duty
Maximum driving allowed is 13 hours within a Work shift
Maximum on-duty allowed is 14 hours within a Work shift
At least 8 consecutive off hours must be taken after 16 hours Work shift.
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Example describing the work shift (16 hours)
In the following example: –
After having off-duty/sleeper berth for consecutive 10 hours, a driver came on-duty at 12:00 AM for an hour and started driving at 1:00 AM
After driving for 3 hours, he went off-duty for 30 mins at 4:00 AM and started driving again at 4:30 AM
At 6:30 AM, he went off -duty again for 30 mins followed by 4 hours of driving from 7:00 AM
1 hour of off-duty was taken from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Now, the shift was extended to 16 hours from 14 hours and the driver was on-duty till 4:00 PM instead of 2:00 PM
The 30 mins and 1 hour off-duty periods are not calculated as part of 14-hours shift but are calculated as a part of 2 hours in the 16 hours Work shift. During this whole elapsed time period (12:00 AM to 4:00 PM), the driver still had maximum 14 hours for on-duty and 13 hours for driving
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.
AikSphere Exceeder is a top-notch trucking dispatch software for trucking businesses of all sizes. It's fully integrated components improve productivity and operational performance. It's an ideal system for LTL and TL carriers looking to improve their bottom line.
