Neglecting to use an electronic logging device (ELD) correctly and when required is one of the quickest ways for your vehicles to end up sidelined and for your business to get hit with hefty fines.
These penalties can hamstring your fleet’s ability to deliver products and services on time, make customers happy, and keep your business’s bottom line in the black.
In this article, we discuss what you need to know about ELD compliance so you can keep your operation running smoothly.
How ELD Compliance Impacts Your Fleet
Image this: You’ve acquired several new fleet vehicles, created a preventative maintenance schedule, and hired and trained your drivers. You’re ready to roll. But then you hear about ELD compliance and discover there’s more you need to do before your fleet can hit the road.
But what is ELD compliance, exactly? It means following the current rules and regulations governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that provide guidance on how to use electronic logging devices to record hours of service (HOS) data for drivers.
If you have one or more qualifying fleet vehicles, you must use an electronic logging device to track your drivers’ hours of service and stay compliant (more on which fleet vehicles need an ELD later).
At its most basic, your electronic logging devices must:
- Connect to the vehicle’s engine to monitor movement
- Provide automatic location data
- Allow the driver to log in and select whether they are on duty, off duty, or sleeping
- Have a mute button
- Provide data in a standardized format
- Transmit data to law enforcement through a wireless web service, USB, or Bluetooth 2.0
But ELDs only track hours of service (HOS) — they can’t help you control fuel costs or other fleet-related expenses. That’s where fleet tools such as smart fuel cards come in.
If your fuel costs are skyrocketing, it may be time to incorporate a smart fuel card into your drivers’ day to day activities. It’s one of the quickest and most effective ways to control driver expenses while they’re on the road.
Reasons To Stay ELD Compliant
Reduced Risk Of Fines And Legal Issues
One of the major reasons for maintaining ELD compliance is the reduced risk of fines and legal issues that have the potential to sideline your fleet and impact your business.
Depending on the infraction, fines can run up to $10,000 per violation. Additionally, you may end up with even bigger consequences in certain situations, like higher insurance premiums due to vehicle accidents.
Let’s say one of your drivers is on their way to their next plumbing job when they accidentally pull out in front of someone and cause an accident. If you’re not in compliance with ELD regulations, that accident could be used against you in a civil lawsuit and result in even larger fines and restrictions.
To avoid financial and legal consequences like this, make sure you’re up to date with ELD compliance regulations at all times (don’t worry; we’ll cover how you can do that later on).
Improved Driver Safety
ELD compliance is also important because it ensures that your drivers don’t exceed their hours-of-service requirements and put themselves, your equipment, and others at risk.
When introducing electronic logging devices into your fleet’s daily operations, let your drivers know that your business isn’t just concerned about abiding by the law, but also about keeping them safe at all times.
Simplified Hours Of Service Recording
ELDs interface directly with vehicles and capture data automatically so that you and your drivers can reduce paperwork, avoid mistakes, and streamline the entire process of piloting vehicles from point A to point B.
Better Vehicle Visibility And Management
ELDs provide you with accurate data about driver hours. In some cases, you can even see real-time information about a vehicle for better overall visibility into your fleet’s performance.
For example, if you’re struggling with managing multiple drivers’ schedules, keeping track of vehicle usage and fuel consumption, or deciding when to take a vehicle out for maintenance, the data that ELDs provide can be invaluable.
Use this data to get a more comprehensive picture of your fleet’s operations, which can improve efficiency, inform decision-making to reduce costs, and streamline your fleet management.
Reduced Administrative Workload
Obtaining, categorizing, maintaining, filing, and storing non-digital hours-of-service records can take a lot of time and effort.
But when you use electronic records along with fleet tools that integrate with each other — including fleet management software, telematics, and a smart fuel card — your job becomes much easier.
The Coast smart fuel card, for example, can be used at any gas station that accepts Visa, and it integrates seamlessly with other helpful fleet tools and software, including:
- Samsara
- Verizon Connect
- Lytx
- Azuga
- Geotab
- OneStep GPS
- Fleetio
- Intuit Quickbooks
Integrations like this make it easier to find the records you need, minimize errors, ensure ELD compliance, and save time in the process.
When Should Fleet Managers Be Concerned About ELD Compliance?
Interstate Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers
If any asset in your fleet is classified as an interstate commercial motor vehicle, the driver who uses that truck, van, or semi must maintain ELD compliance at all times.
Here’s how to figure out if your vehicles fall into this category.
Your fleet participates in interstate commerce or passenger transport with any of the following criteria:
- A gross vehicle/combination weight rating or gross vehicle/combination weight of 10,001 pounds or more but less than 26,001 pounds (whichever is greater)
- A vehicle designed or used to transport between 9 and 15 passengers (including the driver) for direct compensation when operated beyond a 75-mile air radius
- A vehicle designed to transport more than 15 passengers (including the driver) not for direct compensation when operated beyond a 75-mile air radius
If one or more of those criteria apply, the driver must use an electronic logging device while on the road.
Vehicles Over A Specific Weight
If any asset in your fleet is classified as a commercial motor vehicle and exhibits the following characteristics, the driver must maintain ELD compliance at all times:
- The vehicle has a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, inclusive of a towed unit with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds
- The vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more
- The vehicle is designed to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver)
The main difference between this category and the previous one is that a vehicle doesn’t have to travel between states to fall under the FMCSA ELD mandate — it just has to weigh above a certain threshold.
Vehicles Carrying Hazardous Materials
Regardless of size and where it travels, if an asset is used to transport hazardous materials, the driver must maintain ELD compliance at all times.
For more information on transporting hazardous materials, visit the FMCSA website.
How To Ensure That Your Fleet Is ELD Compliant
1) Partner With A Registered ELD Provider
The FMCSA maintains a list of registered ELDs that you can choose from. Avoid any ELDs that are listed as “revoked” — that means they don’t meet the required technical specifications. (Note: All registered ELDs are self-certified and not endorsed by the FMCSA.)
It’s also a good idea to consider integrations when shopping for electronic logging devices. As we mentioned earlier, using fleet software and tools that work together — such as Coast and Verizon Connect, for example — makes your job as a fleet owner or manager much easier.
2) Train Drivers To Use The Electronic Logging Device
Training drivers to operate ELDs correctly (and successfully) is essential for maintaining ELD compliance.
Provide instruction on how to:
- Use the equipment
- Navigate to the features they need
- Identify and correct errors
- Deal with malfunctions
- Make data available upon request
You should also emphasize to all drivers the importance of maintaining an accurate hours-of-service report and the consequences of failing to do so.
3) Monitor ELD Data Regularly
Mistakes can still happen even after you’ve incorporated ELDs into your operations. Review driver ELD data and logs at least once a week in order to stay ahead of:
- Hours of service limits
- Potential issues that can affect your business
- Unsafe driving practices
- Vehicle movements
Doing so can help your business maintain ELD compliance and avoid costly fines and out-of-service penalties.
4) Address Issues As Soon As Possible
If one of your drivers isn’t operating within ELD compliance, address the issue as soon as possible to avoid fines, which can be significant. For example, if a driver didn’t take the full 10 hours off duty as required by the Hours of Service rule, the average fine is $7,322.
In some cases, you may need to enact your own penalties on the driver — a letter of reprimand in their permanent file, a change to their route, not being sent out on the road for a few days — so they understand exactly how important it is for them to remain compliant at all times.
At other times, you may need to retrain your drivers, implement new policies and procedures, or upgrade the ELD software or hardware to resolve the problem.
5) Make Data Available Upon Request
As we mentioned earlier, it’s essential to train your drivers on how to make data available when they’re asked to do so. This could happen in a variety of situations, including at a weigh station, an inspection, or a random stop on the highway.
Regardless of the reason or the location, when an official asks for ELD data, your drivers should know how to quickly and accurately make the data available.
Connect Your ELD With Coast For Seamless Fleet Management
Whether your business has to contend with ELD compliance or not, Coast can help you and your drivers track fuel use and control costs for a better operation all around.
The Coast smart fuel card helps fleet owners and managers:
- Manage spending
- Protect against theft and fraud
- Streamline their day to day work with seamless software integrations
- Comply with IFTA rules and regulations
- View purchase details
- Control every aspect of each card’s activity
- Centralize fleet expenses in one place and on one card
- Coordinate and control maintenance costs on the road
- Provide drivers with access to open-loop convenience
- Access real-time reporting
- Receive activity alerts
- Track costs
- And much more
Take, for instance, DynaServ, a commercial property landscaper.Their previous fleet card and fuel management service was outdated and inefficient.
When the company switched to Coast, all of that changed. Plus, being able to integrate Coast with Samsara was extremely beneficial for them.
Here’s what Manager of Administration Roddy Gato had to say about the integration: “Just having that connection with Samsara, being able to know where the actual vehicle that has the GPS in it is in relation to the user and the gas card is obviously going to help you determine that your employees are in the right place doing the right thing.”
For more information on how the Coast fleet and fuel card can help you control fleet costs, visit CoastPay.com today.
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