December 12, 2017
There are several important business ramifications, and it’s not only about limiting the service hours in a driver’s work-day.
While the primary objective of enforcing Hours-of-Service (HoS) regulations is to make sure that fatigued drivers are not at the wheel, the mandate is likely to reduce operational costs in the trucking industry by doing away with about as much as a billion dollar’s worth annually of paperwork expenses. Operationally, the mandate is likely to have its effect on scheduling as well as pricing.
Prima facie, the first level of change is that automatic data tracking and tamper-resistant ELD devices would make HOS compliance much stricter. Drivers would be more compliant with wayside inspection requirements and be in a better position to pass them without any penalty.
Don’t forget, carriers would, post the deadline, need to pay up $100 at the least for every violation cited.
The ELD mandate brings fresh challenges to planners and dispatch staff to avail of available HOS and at the same time avoid any violations. The mandate is going to ensure compliance with a driver’s permitted service hours, and the fleet’s customers will have to accept the impact this will have on freight deliveries. Carriers will have to do messaging to change customers’ expectations.
Some fleets have defined the market segment they will cater to. They look at the hours actually available and have their sales team talking to customers to inform them that freight will not be able to cover more than 500 miles in a single day. Parking availability near customer sites is another issue that can affect delivery time.
A round of reorganization is going to improve efficiency in routing, dispatch and utilization of driving hours.
The exercise in reviewing policy and operations will improve visibility for management to increase daily productivity. In the next installment which is coming soon, we look at the training required, DVIR and wayside inspections, and how to avert penalties.
December 12, 2017
There are several important business ramifications, and it’s not only about limiting the service hours in a driver’s work-day.
While the primary objective of enforcing Hours-of-Service (HoS) regulations is to make sure that fatigued drivers are not at the wheel, the mandate is likely to reduce operational costs in the trucking industry by doing away with about as much as a billion dollar’s worth annually of paperwork expenses. Operationally, the mandate is likely to have its effect on scheduling as well as pricing.
Prima facie, the first level of change is that automatic data tracking and tamper-resistant ELD devices would make HOS compliance much stricter. Drivers would be more compliant with wayside inspection requirements and be in a better position to pass them without any penalty.
Don’t forget, carriers would, post the deadline, need to pay up $100 at the least for every violation cited.
The ELD mandate brings fresh challenges to planners and dispatch staff to avail of available HOS and at the same time avoid any violations. The mandate is going to ensure compliance with a driver’s permitted service hours, and the fleet’s customers will have to accept the impact this will have on freight deliveries. Carriers will have to do messaging to change customers’ expectations.
Some fleets have defined the market segment they will cater to. They look at the hours actually available and have their sales team talking to customers to inform them that freight will not be able to cover more than 500 miles in a single day. Parking availability near customer sites is another issue that can affect delivery time.
A round of reorganization is going to improve efficiency in routing, dispatch and utilization of driving hours.
The exercise in reviewing policy and operations will improve visibility for management to increase daily productivity. In the next installment which is coming soon, we look at the training required, DVIR and wayside inspections, and how to avert penalties.