What is an ELD?

An Electronic Logging Device (ELD) is a device/technology solution that is used to record Hours of Service (HOS) in a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) based on FMCSA 2015 mandate.

What is the ELD Rule and who is impacted?

Barring some exceptions, a commercial carrier/driver who is required to use a paper log or AOBRD would be impacted by this rule.

Typical exceptions are:

  • Drive away / tow away operations where the vehicle is the cargo
  • Casual drivers who work 8 days or less in any rolling 30 day period
  • Commercial drivers operating older trucks, with an engine manufactured 1999 or earlier

What is AOBRD?

Automatic Onboard Recording Device (AOBRD) is a device/technology used for HOS recording based on 1988 AOBRD Rule issued by FMCSA.

What is the implementation schedule?

By December 18, 2017:

All affected commercial carriers and drivers must install either ELD or AOBRD by this date.

During December 18, 2017 – December 16, 2019:

If an AOBRD device was installed prior to December 18, 2017 it may be used for HOS recording. All new installations must be ELD devices.

After December 16, 2019:

Only ELDs may be used for HOS.

What is the difference between AOBRD and ELD?

The key differences are summarized in the table below

FEATUREAOBRDELD
Integral Synchronization with CMV Required, but not defined in detail Integral synchronization with CMV, automatic capture from vehicle bus of various parameters
Location Recording Manual or automated, at each change of duty status Automatic recording every 60 min, when duty status changes, engine on/offs, etc.
Graph/Grid N/A Display or printout required
Clock Drift N/A Must be synchronized to UTC
Communication Methods N/A Telematics or Local Transfer
Tampering Resistance Must be made tamperproof to the extent practical Must not permit alteration of original information
Needs to support data integrity
Sensor Failures, etc. Must identify edited data and sensor failures ELD must monitor compliance and record malfunctions and inconsistencies
Relevant Rule FMCSA, 1988 AOBRD Rule FMCSA, 2015 ELD Mandate

What are the different types of HOS solutions and how do they compare?

Type of SolutionDescriptionAdvantagesDisadvantages
OBD/J1939 Dongle/Streamer + BYOD Tablet A simple vehicle bus dongle device streams ECM data. This is typically transmitted by Bluetooth technology wirelessly to a tablet device the customer buys. The electronic logging application runs on a smartphone or tablet belonging to the customer/carrier/driver.
  • Simple, least expensive, compliance only solution
  • Not a fleet management solution
  • Does not provide fault codes and engine data for maintenance
  • Only suitable for compliance purposes
  • Customer must have cellular data plan for smartphone/tablet
  • Bluetooth connectivity issues occasionally
Telematics blackbox connected via Bluetooth to Tablet Telematics blackbox collects all ECM data and provides general GPS tracking functionality. ECM Data is streamed to tablet via Bluetooth. Tablet requires cellular data plan.
  • Provides GPS tracking, fleet management and HOS functionality
  • Requires data plan for tablet and Telematics device
  • Bluetooth connectivity issues occasionally
Telematics blackbox connected via WiFi to Tablet Telematics blackbox collects all ECM data and provides general GPS tracking functionality. The blackbox also acts as a WiFi hotspot for the tablet.
  • Provides GPS tracking, fleet management and HOS functionality
  • More reliable than Bluetooth, typically
  • Occasional WiFi connectivity issues
Telematics blackbox connected via Physical wire to Rugged Tablet Telematics blackbox collects all ECM data and provides general GPS tracking functionality. The blackbox is connected via some physical means (Serial, Ethernet) to a rugged tablet. Typically all power management of tabled handled by Telematics box.
  • Provides GPS tracking, fleet management and HOS functionality
  • Most reliable solution
  • Typically more expensive than other solutions

Few things to consider when choosing an electronic HOS log solution

  • Is this just a compliance only solution?
  • Does it provide standard fleet management functionality?
  • Does it provide fault codes, ECM data and other details for fleet maintenance?
  • How is the ECM data transmitted to the tablet (Bluetooth, WiFI, Physical Wire -Serial/Ethernet)?
  • What type of tablet is used (Consumer grade / rugged )?
  • Does the tablet require a cellular data plan and who pays for that?
  • What is your overall cost of the solution?
  • Can this solution be used to manage a ‘mixed’ fleet – consisting of vehicles that require HOS and vehicles that do not?
Questions?   Contact or call Fleetilla at 734-995-5100