The majority of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in the U.S. need to transition to electronic logging devices (ELDs) by December 18, 2017. With the deadline just over one year away, it’s time to start researching your options and planning how you’re going to transition from paper or electronic logs to electronic logging devices.
Webinar Recap
On Tuesday BigRoad presented a webinar on The Road to Change – Transitioning to ELDs. During this webinar we provided an overview of the mandate and tips on how to research, plan, and successfully transition to electronic logging devices. Check out the recording by clicking the image below:
Questions & Answers
Q. Who is exempt from the ELD mandate?
A. There are a few groups of people that are exempt from having to run an electronic logging device in their commercial motor vehicle. We’ve covered this in detail a few months back on the BigRoad Blog. Although these people don’t have to run an ELD, they still need to keep logs – either on paper or electronic logbook. They can even use an ELD if they choose to! At a high-level, the following people are exempt from have to run an ELD:
- People not currently required to keep record of duty status – including short-haul and non-CDL drivers
- People who drive less than 8-days in a 30-day consecutive period
- Driveaway-towaway drivers where the vehicle being driven is part of the shipment
- Drivers of vehicles older than model year 2000 (1999 and under)
Q. I have bobtails that go over the road and the same bobtails are driven locally. Will my drivers have to use an ELD when they’re doing a local move in town?
A. You’ll likely qualify for the short-haul exemption when your doing those local moves so you would not need to run an ELD. You’ll still need to keep your required records (timecards or eletronic logs) depending on your situation. It’s important to remember that as soon as you’re operating outside of the short-haul exemption, you need to run an electronic logging device. In situations where drivers are doing both short-haul and long-haul, we tend to see them choose to run an ELD (or keep electronic logs) as it’s much easier than trying to manage two sets of records.
Q. What happens with trucks that cross the border from Mexico into the U.S.?
A. IWhen entering the U.S. you need to run in compliance with U.S. rules and regulations. This means that when ELDs are required in the U.S., you’d need to run an ELD when driving in the U.S. There’s no special treatment for out-of-country drivers. Just as you have to comply with current rules, you have to do the same with ELDs.
Q. How easy is it to install BigRoad’s DashLink? Do I need a professional? What does the timeline look like?
A. This is one of the things that our users love about BigRoad. Our DashLink is a plug-and-play solution. The unit plugs into the ECM of your truck and you’re done. We’ve had people who know nothing about trucks install it in under a minute! The device then sends information to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth. You can move it between trucks and drivers if you want – again in seconds – nothing is hardwired or tied to a specific truck. You do not need a professional to install it.
It typically takes just over a week from the time you order a DashLink until you get the unit (depending on where you’re located). We’ve got lots of training guides and videos available to help get you started to make your transition to DashLink an easy one. We’ve also got an in-house North American Support Team available by phone and email to help you if you need it! You can call them at 1-888-305-8777 ext 1 or email [email protected].
Q. Can I run the BigRoad Mobile App on my iPad?
A. Yes! You can run the BigRoad Mobile App on your cellphone or tablet. It works on both Android and iOS platforms.
Q. We run a scientific survey vehicle, the vehicle must idle to run the computer equipment. Will this change my status with the engine running while I am logged off-duty away from the vehicle?
A. This question is a little tricky as I’m not sure of the exact hours-of-service rules you follow. I’m thinking that you’d qualify for either the short-haul or the 8-day/30-day consecutive exemption, which would mean you’re exempt from having to run an electronic logging device.
If required to use an electronic logging device, you’d use the ELD to track your pre-trip activities and your initial drive to the site. Once at the site, you would change your duty status to on-duty, not driving (if required to track your working hours) or go off-duty. Again, this would depend your hours-of-service requirements in your industry. You can continue to idle the vehicle and it would not change your ELD recordings. However, as soon as your move the vehicle, a change would be tracked. It is possible for you to use the yard-move setting here for small moves. We’d be happy to provide more information – but need some clarity on a couple items. Feel free to connect with our Support Team at 1-888-305-8777 ext 1 or email [email protected].
How BigRoad Can Help
Let BigRoad help get you on the path to ELD compliance! Setup a live demonstation of our DashLink ELD and see how easy and affordable compliance can be.
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