Effective management of electronic logging devices (ELDs) is critical for maintaining compliance and efficiency in the trucking industry. ELDs have transformed how fleet managers monitor driving hours, track vehicle performance, and ensure regulatory conformance. These devices have brought significant changes to the trucking industry, streamlining operations and increasing efficiency. Despite their advantage, adopting and managing ELDs involves navigating various complexities.
In this blog, we will explore the impact of ELDs on fleet management, the challenges involved in their implementation, and how Scalefusion MDM can enhance ELD capabilities. By understanding these aspects, fleet managers can better leverage ELD technology to optimize their operations and improve overall fleet performance.
What are Electronic Logging Devices (ELD)?
ELD is an electronic device developed to record a driver’s hours of service (HOS) in commercial vehicles. The main purpose of ELD is to ensure compliance with federal regulations by automatically capturing data. This data is then used to create precise and tamper-proof logs, replacing traditional paper logbooks. ELDs integrate directly with a truck’s engine, providing real-time monitoring and simplifying the tracking of driving hours for fleet managers and drivers.
Electronic logging devices for trucks enhance safety and efficiency within the trucking industry. By automating the recording process, ELDs reduce the risk of human error and prevent the falsification of records. This ensures drivers stick to legal HOS limits, reducing fatigue-related incidents. Moreover, ELDs streamline administrative tasks, saving time for both drivers and fleet managers. ELD data collection can also be used to optimize routes and improve operational efficiency, ultimately leading to cost savings for commercial vehicle companies.
How Do Electronic Logging Devices Work?
Electronic logging devices work by automatically recording a truck’s driver activity. Once connected to the vehicle’s engine, an ELD monitors and logs data such as engine power status, vehicle motion status, and miles driven. This information is used to record the driver’s duty status, which is important for compliance with federal regulations. ELDs ensure data is gathered in real-time and stored securely, making it difficult to alter records.
What does an ELD do? It simplifies the process of tracking vehicle movements and helps fleet managers make informed decisions. ELDs notify commercial drivers of their remaining driving hours, helping them manage their time more efficiently and avoid violations. ELDs also provide fleet managers with valuable insights into vehicle performance and driver activity, allowing them to make better decisions and improve fleet efficiency. ELDs contribute to safer and more efficient trucking operations by automating compliance and enhancing operational oversight.
What Technology Does the ELD Supersede?
ELDs supersede the older technologies of paper logbooks and automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRD). Paper logbooks require drivers to manually record their hours of service, which is time-consuming and prone to human errors. AOBRDs, while more sophisticated electronic logbooks than paper logbooks, have limited capabilities compared to modern ELDs. AOBRDs record basic data such as engine hours and movement, but they do not provide the level of automation, accuracy, and regulatory compliance that ELDs offer.
With the introduction of ELDs, the trucking industry has experienced a significant increase in more reliable and efficient HOS logging. ELDs automate the data recording process and offer advanced features like real-time data transfer, detailed tracking, and secure data storage. This transition enhances the ability to monitor compliance with federal regulations, reduce paperwork, and improve overall operational efficiency.
Difference Between AOBRD and ELD
Automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRDs) and ELDs both record a driver’s hours of service, but there are differences between the two technologies. AOBRDs have been in use for quite some time to record motor carriers and drivers’ basic information. However, they offer limited data granularity and flexibility, and more importantly, they lack standardized formatting, making it harder to verify compliance during inspections.
On the other hand, ELDs provide more advanced features and higher accuracy. An ELD records detailed data, such as engine hours status, truck movement status, and locations at specific intervals. They also offer real-time data transfer, standardized formatting, and improved data security. The transition from AOBRDs to ELDs represents a significant upgrade in terms of reliability, functionality, and regulatory compliance.
Understanding the ELD Mandate: FMCSA Compliance
The ELD mandate is a regulation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requiring commercial motor vehicle drivers to use an ELD to keep a record of duty status. This rule aims to improve road safety by ensuring drivers follow legal limits on driving hours, reducing fatigue-related incidents.
The mandate sets technical standards for ELDs to ensure consistent and reliable data recording. ELDs automatically capture information related to vehicle movement and location. This enhances roadside inspections, simplifies compliance, and helps fleet managers monitor effectively.
ELD Compliance for Truck Fleets: Why is it Important?
ELDs have important benefits for a carrier’s fleet management system. Fleet management companies use ELD solutions to record a driver’s drive time and electronically track the HOS as per the FMCSA rule. ELDs collect a myriad of data that promise a range of additional benefits.
Many organizations hope that telematics will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their fleet operations and maximize driver safety and productivity.
Here are a few ways that ELDs benefit independent truck drivers and trucking companies.
ELD Compliance: After the introduction of the ELD mandate in 2015, commercial vehicle operators are now required to install electronic logging devices to stay compliant by recording HOS and rest periods. HOS rules are complicated, and drivers may need clarification and help with tracking. ELDs simplify drivers’ jobs by displaying a range of information, including when they must take a break or rest for a longer period, how long they can continue driving, and other warnings related to HOS rules.
Driver Safety: Modern telematics devices have built-in GPS tracking, accelerometers, and gyroscopes. They can detect harsh braking and hard acceleration that can hurt fleet safety. Fleet companies can monitor such activities as a part of their fleet safety program, which will help companies reduce the risk of road accidents and injuries.
Dispatching and Routing: ELDs have GPS technology that can track the real-time location of drivers on the road. Fleet managers or owners/operators can plan effective HOS-complaint routes, schedule mandated driving breaks, and still meet deadlines. Dispatchers can also use the live location data and real-time traffic conditions to identify alternate routes for drivers to avoid traffic congestion.
Maintenance: ELDs can highlight the state of vehicle engines in real time. Electronic logging devices connect the OBD port of vehicles to collect a broader array of vehicle data. Certain ELDs provide end-to-end vehicle inspection (e.g., critical engine data, tire pressure, fluid levels, etc.) for insights into vehicle conditions. Drivers can submit this information to schedule preventive maintenance appointments via the ELD app.
Geofencing: Vehicle location is one of the most important monitoring functions the FMCSA deems important in ensuring compliance. Fleet managers can create virtual boundaries around physical locations and send security alerts when vehicles leave the geofence. To ensure driver privacy, when a driver is not operating, the vehicle ELD software is switched to privacy mode and creates a geofence.
Reporting: ELDs provide comprehensive reporting capabilities that allow fleet managers to gain valuable insights into their operations. These reports help identify inefficiencies, track drivers’ records of duty (ROD) and highlight areas where costs can be reduced. This detailed reporting aids in regulatory compliance and contributes to significant cost savings and better resource management.
Benefits of ELDs: Everything You Need to Know
Implementing ELDs in trucking operations offers numerous benefits, enhancing efficiency and compliance while reducing costs and administrative burdens.
- Reduced Paper Management: ELDs eliminate the need for paper logbooks, streamlining record-keeping for fleet companies.
- Optimized Fuel Consumption: ELDs use GPS technology to monitor fuel usage, reducing waste from speeding, aggressive driving, and idling.
- Reduced Violations and Inspections: Vehicles equipped with ELDs frequently receive fewer weigh station inspections because inspectors tend to focus more on vehicles using paper logs.
- Better Driver Monitoring: ELDs track driver behavior and hours to help prevent fatigue and improve overall safety.
- Increased Fleet Productivity: Real-time data from ELDs allows for better route planning and load management, improving overall fleet efficiency.
- Streamlined Inspections: ELDs enable fleet managers to generate precise and tamper-proof records, simplifying regulatory compliance and inspection processes.
Challenges of Implementing ELDs
While ELDs offer various benefits, they also come with certain challenges that businesses need to consider.
- Initial cost and installation: Implementing ELDs can be expensive due to the cost of devices, installation, and training for drivers and staff.
- Driver resistance: Some drivers may resist the adoption of ELDs due to concerns about constant monitoring and changes to their routines.
- Technical issues: ELDs can experience technical errors or malfunctions, leading to downtime and potential compliance issues if not promptly resolved.
- Data management: Managing and interpreting the large volume of data generated by ELDs can be overwhelming without the right tools and expertise.
- Privacy concerns: Drivers may have concerns about their privacy being compromised due to the extensive monitoring capabilities of ELDs.
Using Smartphones as ELDs for Fleet Management
A smartphone or tablet can be deployed as an ELD, if the mobile device meets the ELD’s technical specifications. The ELD rule recommends drivers mount their mobile devices in a fixed position during operation and be visible from a regular seated driving position.
Managing ELDs with Scalefusion MDM
Making ELDs Business-Ready
MDM ensures ELDs are fully prepared for the road by streamlining setup and deployment processes. It supports shared devices, allowing multiple drivers to use a single device seamlessly. This enhances efficiency and ensures compliance with regulations, making fleet management more effective and hassle-free.
With MDM and ELD working together, drivers can effectively focus on their driving, and fleet managers can unlock end-to-end visibility into their carrier operations.
Location Tracking and Geofencing
Scalefusion MDM enables real-time tracking of ELD device locations, ensuring constant awareness of vehicle positions. The frequency of location updates can be set according to needs. Circular or polygonal geofences can be created to define specific areas on the map, with alerts generated when a device enters or exits these zones. Additionally, route optimization, including the planning of pitstops, ensures smooth and efficient journeys.
Using Kiosk Mode for Better Control
ELD apps need to be turned on from the moment drivers start their journey to track information. With Scalefusion MDM, Android/iOS smartphones or tablets can be locked into a single-app or multi-app mode that only runs the logging software or other authorized applications. Besides helping fleet companies in monitoring vehicle performance, MDM also supports driver safety.
ELD Application Management
Managing applications on ELDs is critical for ensuring essential business apps are installed, configured correctly, and readily accessible. Scalefusion MDM enables fleet managers to deploy both private and public apps efficiently across their fleets.
App updates play a crucial role in maintaining the security, functionality, and compliance of ELDs. To ensure updates are applied timely and securely, Scalefusion MDM allows fleet admins to schedule updates or push them during designated maintenance windows, minimizing disruption and optimizing fleet productivity. This proactive approach ensures ELDs are always equipped with the latest features and security patches, enhancing overall operational efficiency and compliance adherence.
Speed-based ELD App Locking
To make driving safer, Scalefusion’s speed-based locking enables fleet managers to control access to apps on mobile devices based on the vehicle speed. Enable the feature on ELDs and lock some or all apps when drivers cross the speed limit that can be set on the Scalefusion dashboard.
ELD Content Management
Scalefusion MDM ensures drivers have instant access to the latest resources and documents on their devices, enhancing communication and empowering them with real-time access to critical content. This optimizes fleet performance and improves compliance with regulations.
By managing ELDs through Scalefusion, fleet managers can efficiently distribute and update essential documents such as regulations and operational procedures. This digital approach eliminates delays associated with manual processes, boosts productivity, and keeps drivers well-informed, enhancing overall operational efficiency.
Remote Troubleshooting
Remote troubleshooting is critical for trucking companies because it enables IT teams to troubleshoot ELD devices without physically being present around them. Scalefusion empowers fleet managers with robust capabilities to diagnose and resolve issues across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows devices from a centralized platform.
The remote troubleshooting capability allows IT admins to mirror ELD screens on the Scalefusion dashboard from anywhere, with the options of VoIP calls and session recording. Ultimately, it reduces ELD downtime and results in timely fleet movement.
OS Updates
Scalefusion MDM streamlines OS update and patch management across devices, enabling centralized scheduling and deployment. This ensures devices are consistently equipped with the latest software versions, bolstering security, performance, and compatibility with enterprise applications.
By proactively updating OS versions, Scalefusion helps mitigate security risks, maintain compliance, and minimize downtime. This approach enhances overall fleet reliability and ensures robust data protection while allowing IT teams to efficiently manage updates without disrupting driver operations.
Workflows and Automated Tasks
Scalefusion MDM automates IT tasks to streamline fleet management processes. Fleet operators can automate routine tasks such as device configuration, application updates, and compliance checks, reducing manual effort and enhancing operational efficiency.
With Scalefusion, predefined workflows can be set up to trigger actions based on specific events or conditions, such as deploying updates when devices connect to Wi-Fi or sending compliance alerts when violations are detected. This automation improves consistency and accuracy and frees up IT resources to focus on strategic initiatives, ultimately optimizing fleet performance and compliance adherence.
Enhancing ELD Capabilities with Scalefusion MDM
Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are indispensable tools for modern fleet management, enabling accurate tracking of driver hours and vehicle data to ensure safety, compliance, and operational efficiency. As regulatory requirements expand globally, ELDs become increasingly vital for fleet operations across diverse geographical areas.
Despite their benefits, managing ELDs presents ongoing challenges, including regulatory complexity and the need for robust security measures. Scalefusion MDM mitigates these challenges by offering centralized management of ELDs, facilitating seamless updates and monitoring, and enforcing compliance across fleets of varying sizes and compositions.
Connect with our experts and discover how Scalefusion MDM can boost your fleet management as an effective ELD partner. Get started today with a 14-day free trial.
FAQs
1. What is an ELD in trucking?
An ELD, or Electronic Logging Device, is used in trucking to automatically record a driver’s hours of service (HOS). It ensures compliance with federal regulations and improves overall fleet management.
2. How much does an electronic logging device cost?
The cost of an electronic log device varies but typically ranges from $200 to $800 for the device, plus an additional $20 to $50 per month for subscription and service fees. There could be additional expenses associated with licensing apps and MDM solutions.
3. Is an ELD a GPS tracker?
An ELD is not a GPS tracker, but it does include GPS functionality. It records location data to ensure accurate tracking of a truck’s movement and compliance with HOS regulations.
4. Are ELDs mandatory for all trucks?
In the countries like USA or Canada, yes, most commercial trucks are required to use ELDs to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, except for certain exemptions such as vehicles older than the model year 2000.
