As of April 1, 2018, full enforcement began for the ELD Mandate. Carriers and drivers are expected to fully comply with U.S. electronic logging regulations. Please read this post for important information on ELD roadside inspection procedures with New England Mobile ELD Solution.
How to Present HOS Logs at Roadside Inspections
When a commercial vehicle driver goes through a U.S. roadside inspection they are expected to show their record of duty status for the previous 7 days to the officer. There are several ways of presenting hours of service (HOS) logs. New England Mobile ELD Solution offers 3 methods.
3 Methods of Presenting Logs with New England Mobile ELD Solution:
1. Web Services (Preferred method of FMCSA)
2. Email
3. Display option (Presenting the logs off the tablet)
Tip 1: It is mandatory at all times to have instructions on how to use out ELD Solution in the cab for the driver and officer to reference. New England Mobile will provide you with a print out to keep in each vehicle at all times.
What Is the DOT Officer Expected to Do?
When an enforcement officer pulls over a driver for a roadside inspection they are expected to:
1. Review the driver’s previous logs to determine if they are in violation, and
check that their ELD is malfunctioning.
2. It is the officer’s responsibility to determine if the driver is in violation.
Our ELD Solution will not display violations to the officer when using any of the three methods outlined above.
What Are the Driver’s Rights?
In some cases enforcement officers may ask for a specific method to review the logs, such as the email method. If the driver is not able to transfer ELD data electronically at roadside, they can fall back on another method, either printout or showing the ELD display.
Tip 2: The Display option is an accepted method that a driver can use during an inspection.
Upcoming Changes to New England Mobile ELD for Roadside Inspections
On the New England Mobile's ELD Solution's 1802 software/firmware release, they are introducing a whole new workflow on what to do during a roadside inspection called Inspection Mode. (following picture)
In this new mode, if any of the transfer methods fail, NEM's Solution will direct the officer to the display option with a disclaimer.
There is also a new warning displayed to the officer when they attempt to leave “Inspection Mode” that they need to hand the mobile device back to the driver. This is to help prevent officers from looking at other places within the app they shouldn’t be on. (below picture)
Tip 3: If you have questions about roadside inspections, please call your local Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) field organization. Go here for Field Office contact info.
ELD Compliance by State
While ELD enforcement has varied across the U.S., with some states leaving the decision to issue tickets up to officers, since April 1st, full enforcement has been in effect. Since this date, the FMCSA states that trucks and buses are being placed out of service, if they are subject to the rule, but stopped at a roadside inspection and found to not have an ELD.
Tip 4: To stay informed of the latest New England Mobile updates and ELD news, please subscribe to New England Mobile's News Letter
credit to: Jubin Thayilchira, ELD Engineer, Geotab