Compliance FAQs
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- HOS regulations are issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
- It governs the working hours of anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in the United States.
- It limits the number of daily and weekly hours spent driving and working, plus, it regulates the minimum amount of time drivers must spend resting between driving shifts.
- Truck drivers, commercial and city bus drivers, school bus drivers – commercial vehicles used as part of a business and fits any of the following:
- Weighs 10,001 pounds or more
- Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
- Is designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) not for compensation
- Is designed or used to transport 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation
- Is transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards
- HOS regulations are issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
- ELD works together with HOS to produce the reports needed to show compliance.
- ELDs will automate driving time by monitoring engine hours, vehicle movement, miles driven, location and share records of duty status (RODS) data.
- The ELD rule went into effect December 18, 2017.
- Requires ELD use by commercial drivers who are required to prepare hours-of-service (HOS) records of duty status (RODS).
- Sets ELD performance and design standards, and requires ELDs to be certified and registered with FMCSA.
- Sets a uniform standard for the documents drivers and carriers are required to keep.
- Prohibits harassment of drivers based on ELD data or connected technology (such as fleet management system). The rule also provides recourse for drivers who believe they have been harassed.
- A user's manual for the driver describing how to operate the ELD;
- An instruction sheet describing the data transfer mechanisms supported by the ELD and step-by-step instructions to produce and transfer the driver's hours-of-service records to an authorized safety official;
- An instruction sheet for the driver describing ELD malfunction reporting requirements and recordkeeping procedures during ELD malfunctions; and
- A supply of blank driver's records of duty status (RODS) graph-grids sufficient to record the driver's duty status and other related information for a minimum of 8 days.
Date, Time, Location information, Engine hours, Vehicle miles, Driver ID, Authenticated user, Vehicle, Motor carrier
Per the ELD rule technical specifications, an ELD must support one of two options for electronic data transfer:
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The first option is a "telematics" transfer type ELD. At a minimum, it must electronically transfer data to an authorized safety official on demand via wireless Web services and email.
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The second option is a "local" transfer type ELD. At a minimum, it must electronically transfer data to an authorized safety official on demand via USB2.0 and Bluetooth®.
FYI: To ensure that law enforcement is always able to receive the hours of service (HOS) data during a roadside inspection, a driver must be able to provide either the display or a printout when an authorized safety official requests a physical display of the information.
Many drivers find ELD use helps them gain more time on the road, as e-logs can record duty status changes down to the nearest minute. Conversely, paper logbooks require drivers to round up to the nearest 15 minutes, resulting in fewer miles posted.
- After you've set your ELD up, you need to login and you'll need to select a status indicating Off-Duty or Sleeper; there is no system today that can – or should – identify those tasks automatically.
- Once you're driving, the device recognizes the difference between Driving and On-Duty Not Driving, automatically updating the driver's status.
- A countdown timer with audible alerts is available, ensuring drivers are never surprised to discover they're running low on hours. And, alerts ensure drivers have enough time to reach a safe place to park, before reaching their Hours of Service limits.
- After you've set your ELD up, you need to login and you'll need to select a status indicating Off-Duty or Sleeper; there is no system today that can – or should – identify those tasks automatically.
- Once you're driving, the device recognizes the difference between Driving and On-Duty Not Driving, automatically updating the driver's status.
- A countdown timer with audible alerts is available, ensuring drivers are never surprised to discover they're running low on hours. And, alerts ensure drivers have enough time to reach a safe place to park, before reaching their Hours of Service limits.
An ELD is a replacement for a paper logbook. It does not automatically transmit data to inspectors or law enforcement agencies, and it does not automatically trigger violations.
