Blue Ink Tech Blog

The ELD mandate was introduced in December 2017, requiring all commercial motor vehicles to keep their Hours of Service (HOS) logs electronically. This was a huge shift from the old way of keeping track of HOS logs using paper logbooks. Years into the ELD mandate, there is still some confusion on what it is, who is exempt, what is required to be collected, and what restrictions are placed on manufactures.

The ELD requirements set by the FMCSA in the ELD mandate are complex and in-depth rules on how electronic logging devices must act when keeping a driver's hours-of-service records. There are a lot of opinions about how the best ELDs should keep hours-of-service rules and navigate the gray areas that cause a log of frustration among drivers and carriers.

ELDs or "electronic logging devices" are devices that are required for most commercial motor vehicle drivers to keep their records of duty status (RODS) electronically for their hours-of-service (HOS) logbooks. The FMCSA published the ELD mandate back in December 2017 with strict guidelines on how electronic logging devices have operate in order to be certified for industry use. This guide will help you understand what ELD providers must do under the ELD mandate to be compliant with the FMCSA.

Truck insurance is one of the main expenses a trucking company will have to pay. With claims that are able to easily cross over $100,000+ it takes a lot to cover a truck on the road. The FMCSR requires all carriers to have a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance just to operate. A new owner/operator can expect to pay $1,500 - $3,500 per month using their own authority. High insurance rates is a main reason why newer owner/operators prefer to lease on to another company.

At Blue Ink Tech we talk to thousands of carriers and drivers about their needs to help run a better business. One situation that comes up frequently in discussions is the use of ELD apps for their logbooks without a connected device to retrieve data from the vehicle.