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HOS, eLogs and ELD: What’s the Real Story?

Waiting is the hardest part. Particularly when it comes to the FMCSA’s ELD mandate. We are expecting to hear from the FMCSA about the mandate within the next couple weeks but until then everyone just has to keep waiting. 

To help clarify some of the concerns about the mandate BigRoad co-founder and CEO Terry Frey sat down with NASTC president David Owen in a webinar to discuss what fleets can expect from the new mandate and how to prepare. 

Below is a recording of this webinar followed by the new questions we received for the Q&A session. If you have additional questions, check out our FAQ.

Questions

Below you will find the answers to the questions that we didn’t have time to answer during the webinar.

With ELDs will you still have to carry paper logs in case of a malfunction?

According to the proposed mandate, when an ELD malfunctions drivers will be expected to maintain their logs on paper until the device can be fixed.

How does ELD work for drivers driving for multiple fleets?

With BigRoad, a driver can choose which fleet they are driving for a particular day. In this situation, the fleet will only have access to days that the driver is driving for them. The driver will have access to all of their own individual logs.

Is BigRoad already electronic log compliant?

Yes, BigRoad is fully compliant based on FMCSA regulations as an electronic logbook and, when using our DashLink engine connection, as an AOBRD.

BigRoad automatically changes me from ‘On-Duty’ to ‘Driving’, can I change this?

This is our automatic duty status feature. When enabled, the GPS will detect when the truck is in motion and automatically put you into driving status. This can help you save time but if you would rather not have the feature on you can simply disable it from the settings menu.

What happens if a driver loses cell coverage?

If a driver loses cell coverage, the BigRoad app continues to work. The data just won’t be transmitted back to the office until data coverage has returned. All of the information will be stored until this happens.

Does BigRoad allow for pre or post trip inspections?

Yes, the inspection feature can be found on the edit logs page of the app.

How long after the mandate do we have to comply?

Once the mandate has been published, there will be a two-year window for companies to become ELD compliant. So if the mandate is published October 2015, companies will have until October 2017 to be running ELDs. The one exception to this is for companies who have moved to an AOBRD system before the two year window is up. In this situation, companies will be able to continue running AOBRD compliant devices until November 2019.

Will single truck operators be required to use ELDs?

Yes, there is no exemption for drivers regardless of fleet size.

What does one do if they have older equipment that doesn’t have the plug connection?

Unfortunately, the proposed mandate does not have any exemptions for older equipment. This likely means that drivers with older trucks are going to have to retrofit the truck somehow to allow the truck to pass the information that will be required by the ELD mandate.

Will the BigRoad phone app be enough or will DashLink also be necessary?

The proposed mandate specifies an engine connection is required. In order to be compliant, you will have to use DashLink with BigRoad once the ELD mandate is in place.

Have more questions about the mandate?

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