The FMCSA ELD Deadline: 5 Quick Checklists Worth Reading

Here’s a quick walk-through for a well-organized and stress-free electronic logging device (ELD) implementation. It’s highly recommended that you’re done by November 18th, a full month before the December 18th deadline. This is also a really good way to make sure that everyone in your fleet has had time to properly get used to the new ELD devices, backup Records of Duty Status (RODS) data to the cloud, and get your managers up to speed on the features and functions of the the ELD solution software interface, reports, and alerts.

If you need it, here’s a refresher on the requirements for FMCSA compliance.

With the upcoming deadline for FMCSA HOS/DVIR reporting, Azuga has created a series of checklists to help you ensure a smooth transition from paper logs to e-logs. We’ll cover each of 5 checklists in separate blog posts over the next few days focusing on your vehicles, your drivers, your fleet managers, and your business and its customers. There’s also a list related to the ELD solution provider you select.

ELD Prep Checklist 1: VEHICLES

• Identify all vehicles that will require an ELD solution and those that are exempt
• Identify vehicles outfitted with AOBRs; create plan to migrate to ELD before Dec. 16, 2019
• If using a tablet solution, identify where best to mount the hardware
• In every vehicle with ELD units, place an information packet on the ELD solution (required to be available in the vehicle cabin)

Understanding the rules where an ELD is required and where your vehicles may be exempt is critical. Is this vehicle used only for short hauls? Or during drive-away/tow-away operations where the vehicle itself is to be delivered at the destination? Was your vehicle manufactured before the year 2000? These are cases for exemption from the ELD mandate. Here’s a complete list of the exemptions from the FMCSA ELD mandate.

So long as the technical specs are met, your ELD device can be on a smartphone or any other wireless gadget. You can use a portable ELD if you mount it in a fixed position where it’s visible to your driver from their regular sitting position.

The ELD Mandate requires you to carry an ELD information packet on board for the driver’s use, in addition to other supporting documents. This packet comprises:

• a user manual that guides the driver on use of the ELD device
• a sheet with instructions in case of the device malfunction which are about record-keeping and fulfilling the reporting requirements. As a standby, include enough blank RODS graph-grids to maintain the records for at least eight days
• an instruction sheet on how to display and transfer HOS-RODS during an authorized wayside inspection, and about the various ways in which the data can be transferred to the cloud.

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