In 2012, Congress passed legislation that required the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to develop a rule mandating the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs). These devices are designed to record a driver’s Record of Duty Status and replace the paper logbooks certain operators use to document their Hours of Service (HOS).
The ELD mandate gives fleets a deadline of December of 2017 to begin using certified ELDs. Those who have already implemented them will have until December of 2019 to achieve compliance with the government-issued specifications.
“The option of paper logs isn’t there anymore,” says Wyn Partington, vice president of marketing, NexTraq, a provider of GPS fleet management solutions (www.nextraq.com). “You either use ELDs, or you get out of the business.”
According to Jim Dempsey, national manager, Mobility Partner Group, Panasonic, a provider of mobility solutions (www.business.panasonic.com/solutions-automotivesolutions), the mandate serves not only as a means for fleets to reduce manual paperwork. It also provides them with much more information about the status of their vehicles in real time.
“Once these systems are implemented, data management in the cloud is a requirement,” says Dempsey. “This will enable fleet operators to perform more advanced analytics, improving the health and performance of the truck and its driver.”
Paul Menig, CEO, Tech-I-M, a provider of consulting services to help companies succeed by leveraging technology in products and processes (www.tech-i-m.com), says that when fleets invest in ELDs, they will also get some computerized maintenance as well.
“The FMCSA’s requirement that every vehicle have some sort of electronic logging device is going to start a race for additional technology,” he adds.
As the technology becomes more and more prevalent, fleets will enjoy increased visibility of their vehicles.
“This opens a huge opportunity for data analytic services,” says Dempsey. “The data is worthless without proper analysis to determine the best course of action. Once the analysis is complete, fleet managers can create new policies and procedures to increase the overall efficiency of their fleet.”
