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Dec. 18: Flippingthe e-log switchpage 1How the twobasic types ofELDs operatepage 3How devices anddrivers track dutystatus changespage 6The rightpricepage 10Specs andpricing for64 productspage 16ELDproductshowcasepage 24

TOPPICK!Transflo TelematicsCompliance at your fingertipsTelematics PortalElectronic LogsTransflo T7 ELDDuty StatusSpecial ELD Promo! Purchase an ELD today and receive a free monthlysubscription until March 2018.*We know the ELD mandate is a change for truckers, and we’re tryingto make it easy. The Transflo ELD T7 is priced at less than 99 andinstalls in minutes; no mechanic, no special tools. Simply manage logs,duty status, and inspection reports from a mobile app. You can evenmanage documents, loads, dispatch chat, and settlement statementsas part of the Transflo mobile suite. Manage your whole workday fromone app. It’s as easy as it gets.813.386.6000 sales@transflo.com www.transflo.com/*Offer valid October 1, 2017–December 31, 2017. Standard ELD monthly service plan applies. One month up-front payment of 25required; no further payments until March 2018; 25 per month thereafter. Must purchase and activate by December 31, 2017. 2017Pegasus TransTech, LLC. All rights reserved. Transflo and the Transflo logo are trademarks of Pegasus TransTech, LLC. PegasusTransTech is an Authorized Geotab Reseller. TF10162017You can now purchasethe Transflo ELD T7 atparticipating truck stops.

Since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’slate 2015 release of its finalrule for using electroniclogging devices, there’s been a risingswell of ELD development. Customers can choose from hardware andsoftware options offered by dozensof vendors, many of them new to thetrucking industry.This also means serious preparationon the enforcement side. FMCSA hashad reported delays implementingits roadside data-transfer system bywhich officers will interface electronically with any of these systems.Nevertheless, the agency expects tohave it in place prior to Dec. 18, thescheduled enforcement date for usingelectronic logs.Fleet-focused onboard devices offera lot of bells and whistles, but independent owner-operators are likely togravitate to a baseline-compliance device. They can benefit from additionalDO YOU USE ANY FORM OFAN ELECTRONIC LOGBOOKIN YOUR OPERATION?Yes, a smartphoneapp untethered tothe engine 7%Yes, an engineconnected e-logplatform 11%No82%An Overdrive survey from a year agoshowed minimal e-logging by owner-operators. Since then, many largerfleets have added ELD systems to geta jump on compliance before Dec. 18,but some independent owner-operators have yet to install an ELD.functions such as IFTA data collection,making mileage tracking automaticand easily reportable.As you’re making your decision,consider these issues:Support. The final rule specifiesan eight-day timeframe for repairing/replacing a malfunctioning ELD. Doesthe provider stock the kind of hardware inventory to meet such a quickturnaround? How are replacements/repairs handled?For carriers needing more than eightdays to replace any ELD, the rule alsospelled out a process for requestingmore time. It involves contacting yourstate’s FMCSA division office and making your case.FMCSA registry and compliance.Technically, compliant ELDs must beon FMCSA’s registry of devices. Theagency’s vetting process does not entailtesting for compliance, relying largelyon manufacturers to self-certify thatthey meet the rule specs.That’s prompted worry among motorcarriers about what happens if theirdevice is later found to be noncompliant. FMCSA’s website addresses thatscenario: “FMCSA will work withaffected motor carriers to establish areasonable timeframe for replacingnoncompliant devices.”At this stage, part of the complexityinvolving the registry is that automaticonboard recording devices meetingfairly minimal requirements comparedto ELD specs are essentially grandfathered through Dec. 16, 2019. Therule notes that any carrier installingan AOBRD prior to this year’s ELDenforcement date can use that deviceuntil the 2019 date.EXEMPTIONS: FEWBEYOND OLDER ENGINESPerhaps the biggest exemption toFMCSA’s ELD requirement is the exclusion of trucks with 1999 and oldermodel-year engines from complying.Narrower exemptions exist for thefollowing applications: Drivers in drive-away/tow-away operations, where the vehicle being drivenis the commodity being delivered. Drivers operating under the timecard exception to the hours-recordingrules – the 100- and 150-air-mile radius short-haul exceptions – exclusively. Drivers who occasionally keep alogbook but do not do so for morethan eight days in any 30-day period.Practically, what that means is thatenforcing the requirement to use aregistry-listed device is unlikely beforethat time, particularly for carriers whocomply with the ELD rule and installan engine-connected e-log prior toDec. 18. So the registry’s importancefor carriers choosing ELDs at this stageis minimal.As the comparison chart of devicesbeginning on p. 16 of the ELD Buyers’Guide shows, some established ELDvendors remain off the registry. Thoseproviders consulted for stories in thisbuyer’s guide, if not already on theregistry, expressed plans for eventualELD compliance for their productsthrough firmware/software updates asthe enforcement rollout progresses.Nonetheless, for any product notlisted on the registry, ask the vendor about its plans for registering itsdevice and whether it has a plan forsuccess and support for its productbeyond 2019.november 2017 eld buyers’ guide1

It’s our mandate to help you.)Electronic Logs)DVIR)Navigation)Messaging)GPS TrackingHands-on Training No Cost Consulting Dedicated ELD TeamTailored GPS Tracking & E-Log Solutionsa 877-477-2690 l GPSINSIGHT.COM

How the two basictypes of ELDs operateABY TODD DILLSll compliant electronic logging devices will sharea common bond: They can record data coming infrom the system that controls the truck’s engineand component parts. The final rule from theFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was specific inrequiring synchronization with the electronic control module. That’s one of the reasons the agency didn’t require ELDsin trucks with model-year 1999 or older engines.The rule requires ELDs to automatically record date,time, location information, engine hours, vehicle miles andidentification information for the driver, carrier and vehicleitself. Unless the driver is enabled for use of the vehicle in a“personal conveyance” mode outside of work hours, ELDsare required to record all of those elements “when the driverindicates a change of duty status or a change to a specialdriving category” such as a yard move, the rule states.When in motion, ELDs are required to record all of theinformation on an hourly basis at a minimum. Many ELDsare offered as part of systems built for detailed tracking purposes, useful to fleets and owner-operators for purposes suchas automatic notification of arrival times.Those systems are capable of recording in a much morerefined manner, and some may default to that. Providers mayor may not have the ability to adjust the refinement.Though there are plenty of variations, two types of ELDshave emerged, as labeled on the chart that begins on page 16:In dedicated unit configurations, the device is suppliedby the provider and is likely to remain in the truck.BYOD (“bring your own device”) systems allow buyers topurchase their own hardware for the driver interface, such asan owner-operator using an app on a personal Android- oriOS-powered smartphone. A carrier may seek out a deal ontablets to dedicate to its power units and drivers.Dedicated unitsMost older forms of electronic logging devices, known as electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs) or automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRDs), have been the dedicated-unit type. Twoexamples that have been available for years are Omnitracs’ MCPseries and PeopleNet’s current products used by many driversemployed by or leased to larger carriers.Many of these units provide ELD functionality in a singledevice package tied directly to the ECM by a cable and plug.Like mobile phones, such units use connections to thecellular network and GPS functionality to deliver on theELD rule’s requirements for recording location, mileage andengine hours. Data storage occurs using a combination of theinternet cloud, back-office servers and the device itself.A notable exception among devices available for years nowexists in the base model of the Continental VDO RoadLog,which is limited to hours of service recording and inspection-report functionality.With no connection to the cellular network with thedevice, fleets and owner-operators manage data storage viaa USB-connected drive to transfer records to a laptop orother computer.Other dedicated devices may pair two pieces of hardware,bridging the gap between the traditional single-unit EOBRand the two-piece BYOD systems readily available today.In most cases, those devices are in evidence on the chartwhen a BYOD and a dedicated version exist from onemanufacturer. While the J.J. Keller Encompass and RandISE Fleet Services’ eFleetSuite baseline compliance device is adedicated unit with its own cellular data connection but withouta lot of extra functionality beyond logs.november 2017 eld buyers’ guide3

PA R T N ER S O LU T I O N S / C O R E T E XWhy putting all youreggs in one basketmakes perfect sense.ELD is here, it’s realand it’s now.But not all ELD solutions arecreated equal, so what are theright questions to ask beforedeciding on an ELD provider?The first question is usually a financial one. Do you wantto comply for the least possible cost, or do you see ELDas an opportunity to solve a series of other complianceissues at the same time?If you run a mixed fleet of trucks, trailers, reefersand straight trucks then ELD is arguably the perfectopportunity to make your operation a whole lot smarterand more efficient.By looking at ELD as a feature within a suite, rather thana standalone system, operators can use the compulsoryinvestment in ELD to address other compliancechallenges, such as FMSA, DVIR and IFTA. This savesmoney because it displaces the technical solutionordinarily required for each mandate and also allowsoperators to introduce efficiency and safety features, thatwill more than offset any additional cost.The usual argument is that features included as part of asuite, are never as good as a dedicated system. If you’rebuying a stereo that’s probably right, but if you’re buyingan ELD solution then it’s wrong. ELDs that are integratedinto a suite are better, because they can drive other tasksand business processes, like DVIR and job dispatch.