Leading Fleets, Vol. 9, 2016

20 LEADING FLEETS VOL 9 2016 LEADING EXPERTISE The final ruling on electronic logging devices to monitor hours of service has been a piece of legislation several years in the making The new rule specifically addresses driver harassment which previously had not been included in the proposed 2014 version of the rule and resulted in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FMCSA being sent back to the drawing board With the ELD mandate officially in effect its important that you know not only the basics but even the small details that could affect whether you are compliant or not The Phases of Implementation The ELD rule is broken up into three phases of implementation which specifically outline what steps a motor carrier should be taking to make the transition a smooth one The first phase Awareness and Transition runs from Feb 16 2016 to Dec 18 2017 The FMCSA will allow drivers and carriers to use a variety of methods including paper logs devices with logging software AOBRDS or certified ELDs that the FMCSA permits A driver must inform inspectors if there are two types of methods being used The main goal of phase one is to make sure all motor carriers are staying compliant with Hours of Service HOS regulations The Phased In Compliance Phase is the second stage of the ELD implementation timeline This two year phase allows carriers to use AOBRDS that were installed prior to Dec 18 2017 and certified registered ELDs following the rule publication on Dec 16 2015 The final phase requires all drivers and carriers to have registered ELDs by Dec 16 2019 Technical Specs The technical provisions in the new rule make sure that HOS data can be accessed during any type of roadside inspection Electronic data transfer must be made wireless through email USB 20k or Bluetooth In areas where there are connectivity issues drivers must be able to present printouts or a graph grid of the time and location information engine hours vehicle miles and ID information of the driver Supporting Documents Drivers must carry supporting documents to verify their logs are accurate Supporting documents include bills of lading itineraries schedules dispatch records trip records expense reports electronic mobile communication records sent through fleet management systems and payroll records The number of supporting documents a driver is required to keep has been lowered from 10 to eight A driver must retain these eight supporting documents for every 24 hour period of on duty time Drivers are responsible for submitting these documents to their carrier within 13 days of receiving them LF How to Stay in Compliance with the ELD Mandate With the ELD mandate officially in effect as of Feb 16 motor carriers are retiring their paper logs for electronic logging devices DATES TO REMEMBER Feb 16 2016 Effective Date Dec 18 2017 Phased In Compliance Date Dec 16 2019 Full Compliance Date ELD CHECKLIST FOR DRIVERS AND CARRIERS Learn how to file harassment and coercion complaints Familiarize yourself with the ELD functions e g logging in record duty status changes access RODS data provide ELD display Review the ELD documentation guide to understand the ELD printout display information Maintain the eight supporting documents verifying your record of duty status Develop an implementation plan and timeline to ensure compliance Evaluate and select ELDs Install and test ELDs Ensure drivers have required user documentation in vehicles ELD Users Manuel instructions on how to report ELD malfunctions paper tracking forms or grid graphs Retain supporting documents and ELD data Understand rules and penalties for driver harassment DRIVERS MOTOR CARRIERS