We asked BigRoad customer Peter McManus, of Five Star Freight Management, what he wishes he had known before starting with BigRoad. Here is what he told us:
- Keep your phone fully charged.
- Printers aren’t really a big deal.
- It’s simple to implement with your drivers.
It was a pretty short list, but it’s important because it lets us know what our customers want us to focus on to ensure they have the best experience possible with BigRoad.
This is what we wanted to deal with in our latest webinar – Getting the Most out of BigRoad. With Peter’s help, we covered how to get your fleet running on BigRoad as well as the features that are most important for your business.
You can watch the webinar below to hear everything Peter had to say about being a BigRoad customer.
For everyone who attended the webinar, thank you for all of your questions. We have put together a list answering all of your questions.
Q. If you drive past midnight, and this is not your end of the day, do you need to put in an ending mileage?
Yes, you should make a note of your odometer at midnight. The value you enter is then carried over in the next days log.
Q. Can you record pre-trip inspections on trucks and trailers using BigRoad?
A. At the start of your shift from the main screen of the BigRoad app you need to go to press Daily Logs, then Edit Logs and under Vehicle Inspection Report select New Inspection. From there you are able to record your pre-trip or post-trip inspection information. Please note if you are in Canada make sure you note under what schedule you are running.
Q. Do you have an easy explanation of the sleeper berth provision?
A. The simplest way to look at it from the BigRoad perspective is, one driver can be in sleeper while the other is driving. If you follow procedures correctly both drivers will not be driving at the same time. As there is a number of scenarios that can arise with team driving please call our support team at 1-888-305-8777 and they’ll be happy to walk you through the right process for your situation. Currently, BigRoad only supports US rules for sleeper berths and does not support any Canadian rules.
Q. Does Big Road offer options for passenger carriers?
A. BigRoad does offer rule sets for both US and Canadian rule passenger carriers.
Q. Do DOT inspectors accept logs on a cell phone?
A. Yes, is it perfectly legal to use a cell phone as an electronic logbook. However, some DOT inspectors will insist that you produce a paper copy of your logs so we would recommend that you also have a printer in your vehicle. Find out more information about using printers with BigRoad.
Q. How do we get notified when there’s a new version of BigRoad or new features are available?
The best way to make sure you always have the latest version of BigRoad is to turn on auto updates. This blog post contains instructions for keeping apps updated. If you want to know about new features be sure to follow our Facebook and Twitter channels for announcements.
Q. What does the acronym AOBRD mean?
A. AOBRD stands for automatic on-board recording device. An AOBRD is often incorrectly used interchangeably with EOBR and ELD. An AOBRD is currently the only legally compliant engine connected method of recording hours of service as outlined in FMCSA regulation 395.15. AOBRD is set to be replaced by the upcoming ELD Mandate. To learn more the upcoming changes download our ELD eBook.
Q. Will electronic logs be made mandatory for all drivers and if so, when?
A. As part of the upcoming mandate, any driver that currently keeps a record of duty status (RODS) are expected to use an electronic logging device (ELD). Unlike an electronic logbook, this device has a connection to the vehicle’s diagnostic port. The final specifications for ELD are due to be published September 2015 and it is expected that the device will be mandatory two years later, 2017. If you are currently already using an AOBRD then you will not be required to use an ELD until 2019. Learn more about BigRoad’s ELD-ready AOBRD solution.
Q. For those of us that qualify for a 30-minute break exemption, does the BigRoad app compensate for that?
A. BigRoad has options for many different exemptions including the 30-minute break. You can set your hours of service rules and exceptions under the Settings menu. Click on My Profile, then select Rules and from here you can select your cycle, vehicle type and any exceptions that apply to you.
Q. When generating my state-by-state mileage why are there unknown miles?
A: We recommend drivers sign out of the app at the end of their shift. BigRoad will continue to track GPS mileage even when drivers are off duty. Having drivers getting into the habit of signing into the app at the start of their shift and signing out at the end of their shift should minimize any discrepancies between the odometer and GPS readings. For even more accuracy, ensure that devices are running BigRoad in the foreground and the device is connected to a charger as GPS performance can suffer when battery power is low.
Q. We want to use only E-Logs, how could the company ensure driver compliance?
A. Slowly ramping up the rollout of electronic logs across the company along with being able to educate your drivers is key. A great place to start is to try the BigRoad app for yourself. Once you are familiar with using BigRoad app as an electronic logbook you’ll be able to teach anyone how to use it. To create a fleet sign into the BigRoad web app. When you first sign into the web app you automatically start a full 30 day trial with access to all the fleet management tools. Go to the fleet tab to set up your fleet and invite a few drivers. Start with just a couple of drivers so they can get a good feel of using the app. Of course, you can always call our support team at 1-888-305-8777 ext. 11 if you ever need any help or would like us to help with your driver training.
Q. Is the duty status editable if necessary and who would do that?
A. When using the BigRoad app as an electronic logbook, driver logs are fully editable for 14 days by the driver. When using a the BigRoad app in conjunction with DashLink as a AOBRD drivers can not edit any of their drive time and once they sign a log they can only make additional changes within 24-hours – so long as a supervisor does not edit within the 24-hours. Driving time and other edits made 24-hours after a log is signed must be done by a supervisor.
Q. How are weak phone service areas addressed?
A. Mobile devices tend to have two antennas in them: one for mobile service and one for GPS signal. Even when you are out of mobile coverage, you are still tracking where you are with GPS. When you return to a mobile coverage area, the data is re-synced so you don’t lose any of your information.
Q. Is there a report you can run for a 7-day log period on driver’s violations?
A. BigRoad offers real-time monitoring of driver violations from the Roadside Inspection Risk panel. This way you can ensure logs are compliant before they become a problem.
Q. Can I see my drivers on the BigRoad app on my phone?
A. You can track your fleet with the BigRoad web app. When you sign up you’ll automatically start a 30-day trial and have access to all of BigRoad’s fleet management tools. The web app can be viewed on a mobile device but it better on a desktop environment. The BigRoad mobile app is for recording driver’s hours of service logs, you can not track your fleet with it.
Q. Does BigRoad do a breakdown of vehicle mileage state-by-state?
A. Yes, you can generate mileage reports that can you used in preparing your IFTA filings from the report tab in the BigRoad web app.
Q. Does the on duty break down to inspections, fuel, load/unload so forth for heading purposes?
A. In the BigRoad app, you have the ability to add notes at each change of duty status just like you would with paper logs so you can add activities like the ones listed.
Q. Can I get a copy of the Webinar presentation slides?
A. You can download a copy from here.